Opinion - Smart Steering instead of Paying Extra: How to Turn Negative Energy Prices into an Advantage

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Antwerp – May 27, 2025

🖊 By Dries Bols – CEO LIFEPOWR
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Households and businesses with solar panels do not have to worry about negative electricity prices, provided that their installation is controlled intelligently. This is according to Dries Bols, CEO of energy technology company LIFEPOWR, in response to the growing number of hours during which putting solar energy on the grid costs money. 

In 2024, there were already 458 hours with negative prices, compared to 253 hours in 2023. “Negative prices are not a problem,” says Bols. “They are a market signal. And those who steer smartly will benefit from that. The era in which we passively injected power and were always automatically rewarded is over.”

20% of Solar Power Produced during Negative Hours

According to recent figures, in 2024 about 20% of all solar electricity in Belgium was produced during hours during which electricity on the wholesale market did not generate anything or even had negative value. This trend is the result of the sharp increase in renewable generation (such as solar panels and wind farms) and an electricity grid that does not yet respond flexibly enough to this.

At such times, it seems as if solar energy suddenly loses its value. And that is frustrating. Understandably so. Instead of shouting that solar panels no longer pay off or taking them away, we should look at what this really means.

The Solution? Flexibility

Negative prices occur when supply exceeds demand , usually at very sunny and/or windy times. This price drop is a market signal: “Stop injecting, or consume more.” And that is not illogical. On the contrary: it is how a free energy market should work. The same goes the other way around. When supply drops unexpectedly (such as when it is cloudy), prices rise explosively. 

This volatility is not a temporary fluctuation. It is the logical consequence of an energy system that increasingly relies on renewable, weather-dependent resources. The only sustainable way to deal with it? Flexibility.

‘At times when production peaks, there is simply too much supply, causing prices to fall,’ says Bols. ‘But that doesn't have to mean a loss. With smart technology, we can actively help balance the grid by charging at the right time, consuming or even temporarily scaling down production (curtailment).’

LIFEPOWR's energy management platform FlexiO responds to exactly that. The system deliberately switches off solar panels and deliberately keeps batteries partially empty at peak times, leaving room to store solar output without injection costs. Or it makes capacity available for grid balancing, in exchange for a fee from grid operator Elia.

From Static Consumption to Smart Steering

What we are seeing in the energy market today is not a coincidence, but a sign that the energy transition is on track. We are building a system where ample generation capacity becomes the standard, so that sufficient power is available even on windless or cloudy days. In the long term, this will lead to affordable and stable carbon-neutral energy, as a solid foundation for a sustainable and competitive economy. In the short term, this grid creates opportunities for those who can offer flexibility: through smart switching, charging, storage or consumption.

According to LIFEPOWR, this evolution shows above all that the energy model needs to evolve with reality. ‘The future of energy is decentralised, dynamic and digitally driven. Not everyone has to deal with this on a daily basis. Smart systems like FlexiO take that work off their hands,’ concludes Bols.

Smarter isn't Only Better for Your Wallet

Those who have their energy consumption and storage intelligently controlled not only get more out of their installation. He also contributes to a more stable grid, less waste of solar energy and an acceleration of the energy transition.

‘Negative prices are not an obstacle,’ concludes Bols. ‘They are proof that it is time to make our energy system smarter, more fair and more future-oriented.’

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Dries Bols

marketing@lifepowr.io

www.lifepowr.io

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