Battery Storage Optimization on the German Continuous Intraday Market: An Experimental Analysis under Consideration of Price Uncertainties
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7250/csimq.2025-45.01Keywords:
Continuous Intraday Electricity Market, Genetic Algorithm, Arbitrage Trading, Agent, Battery Storage Optimization, Price UncertaintiesAbstract
This article uses an experimental approach to examine the extent to which price fluctuations influence the profitability of electricity storages operating on the German Continuous Intraday Market. For this reason, we are extending our previous research and analyzing the trade-off between storage capacity and price forecast uncertainty with regard to arbitrage profitability. Using a genetic algorithm, we optimize buy and sell decisions for different battery storage sizes and simulated price forecast uncertainties over the year 2021. Our results show that a storage management strategy generated by the genetic algorithm enables significant arbitrage revenues, which rise in particular with increasing storage capacity. However, with an increasing battery size, decreasing marginal profits are to be expected. Price uncertainties due to forecast errors also reduce the gains, but their influence on profit remains moderate compared to the storage size. The genetic algorithm used provides an intelligent strategy for optimizing storage usage even under uncertain market conditions.
References
T. Reuther and C. Kost, Photovoltaik- und Batteriespeicherzubau in Deutschland in Zahlen: Auswertung des Marktstammdatenregisters. Stand Februar 2024. Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Germany, 2024 (in German). Available: https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/publications/studies/2024-02-photovoltaik-und-batteriespeicherzubau-in-deutschland.pdf. Accessed on Dec. 9, 2024.
F. Ullah et al., “A comprehensive review of wind power integration and energy storage technologies for modern grid frequency regulation,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 9, 2024. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30466 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30466
M. Killer, M. Farrokhseresht, and N. G. Paterakis, “Implementation of large-scale Li-ion battery energy storage systems within the EMEA region,” Applied Energy, vol. 260, article 114166, 2020. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.114166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.114166
N. Naseri, Y. Ghiassi-Farrokhfal, W. Ketter, and J. Collins, “Understanding and managing the participation of batteries in reserve electricity markets,” Decision Support Systems, vol. 165, article 113895, 2023. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2022.113895 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2022.113895
M. Kremer, R. Kiesel, and F. Paraschiv, “An econometric model for intraday electricity trading,” Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, vol. 379, no. 2202, article 20190624, 2021. Available: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2019.0624 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2019.0624
G. Bertrand and A. Papavasiliou, “An Analysis of Threshold Policies for Trading in Continuous Intraday Electricity Markets,” in 2018 15th International Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), 2018, pp. 1–5. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2018.8469774 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2018.8469774
D. Bowen, M. C. Hutchinson, and N. O’Sullivan, “High-Frequency Equity Pairs Trading: Transaction Costs, Speed of Execution, and Patterns in Returns,” The Journal of Trading, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 31–38, 2010. Available: https://doi.org/10.3905/jot.2010.5.3.031 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3905/jot.2010.5.3.031
E. Finhold, T. Heller, and N. Leithäuser, “On the potential of arbitrage trading on the German intraday power market,” Journal of Energy Markets, vol. 16, no. 3, 2023. Available: https://doi.org/10.21314/JEM.2023.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21314/JEM.2023.027
H. Xu, X. Li, X. Zhang, and J. Zhang, “Arbitrage of Energy Storage in Electricity Markets with Deep Reinforcement Learning,” 2019. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1904.12232v2
D. J. B. Harrold, J. Cao, and Z. Fan, “Data-driven battery operation for energy arbitrage using rainbow deep reinforcement learning,” 2021. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.06061v1
J. Cao, D. Harrold, Z. Fan, T. Morstyn, D. Healey, and K. Li, “Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Energy Storage Arbitrage With Accurate Lithium-Ion Battery Degradation Model,” IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 4513–4521, 2020. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/TSG.2020.2986333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TSG.2020.2986333
G. Bertrand and A. Papavasiliou, “Adaptive Trading in Continuous Intraday Electricity Markets for a Storage Unit,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 2339–2350, 2020. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2019.2957246 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2019.2957246
T. Kuppelwieser and D. Wozabal, “Intraday power trading: toward an arms race in weather forecasting?” OR Spectrum, vol. 45, pp. 57–83, 2023. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-022-00698-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-022-00698-5
D. Schaurecker, D. Wozabal, N. Löhndorf, and T. Staake, “Maximizing Battery Storage Profits via High-Frequency Intraday Trading,” 2025. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.06932v2
E. Cognéville, T. Deschatre, and X. Warin, “Battery valuation on electricity intraday markets with liquidity costs,” 2024. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2412.15959v1
C. Kath and F. Ziel, “Optimal Order Execution in Intraday Markets: Minimizing Costs in Trade Trajectories,” 2020. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2009.07892v2
M. Kloess, “Electric storage technologies for the future power system – An economic assessment,” in 2012 9th International Conference on the European Energy Market, Florence, Italy, 2012, pp. 1–8. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2012.6254729 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2012.6254729
B. Steffen, “Prospects for pumped-hydro storage in Germany,” Energy Policy, vol. 45, pp. 420–429, 2012. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.02.052 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.02.052
D. Krishnamurthy, C. Uckun, Z. Zhou, P. R. Thimmapuram, and A. Botterud, “Energy Storage Arbitrage Under Day-Ahead and Real-Time Price Uncertainty,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 84–93, 2018. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2017.2685347 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2017.2685347
P. E. Campana et al., “Li-ion batteries for peak shaving, price arbitrage, and photovoltaic self-consumption in commercial buildings: A Monte Carlo Analysis,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 234, article 113889, 2021. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.113889 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2021.113889
M. Wilz and R. Lackes, “Storage Management in Short-Term Electricity Trading: An Experimental Analysis with Genetic Algorithms,” Perspectives in Business Informatics Research. BIR 2025. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol. 562, 2026, pp. 3–19. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-04375-7_1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-04375-7_1
M. Linnemann, Energiewirtschaft für (Quer-)Einsteiger. Springer, 2024 (in German). Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43555-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43555-4
Prozessbeschreibung. Fahrplananmeldung in Deutschland: Prozessbeschreibung, 2023 (in German). Available: https://www.50hertz.com/xspProxy/api/staticfiles/50hertz-client/dokumente/vertragspartner/bilanzkreiskunden/20230401fpmde.pdf
R. Kiesel and F. Paraschiv, “Econometric analysis of 15-minute intraday electricity prices,” Energy Economics, vol. 64, pp. 77–90, 2017. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2017.03.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2017.03.002
M. Narajewski and F. Ziel, “Econometric modelling and forecasting of intraday electricity prices,” Journal of Commodity Markets, vol. 19, article 100107, 2020. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomm.2019.100107 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomm.2019.100107
J. H. Holland, Adaptation in natural and artificial systems: An introductory analysis with applications to biology, control, and artificial intelligence. MIT Press, 1992. Available: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/1090.001.0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/1090.001.0001
A. Shukla, H. M. Pandey, and D. Mehrotra, “Comparative review of selection techniques in genetic algorithm,” in 2015 International Conference on Futuristic Trends on Computational Analysis and Knowledge Management (ABLAZE), 2015, pp. 515–519. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/ABLAZE.2015.7154916 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ABLAZE.2015.7154916
K. F. Man, K. S. Tang, and S. Kwong, “Genetic algorithms: concepts and applications [in engineering design],” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 43, no. 5, pp. 519–534, 1996. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/41.538609 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/41.538609
X. Wu, L. Jain, M. Graña, R. J. Duro, A. d’Anjou, and P. P. Wang, Information Processing with Evolutionary Algorithms: From Industrial Applications to Academic Speculations. Springer, 2005. Available: https://doi.org/10.1007/b138854 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/b138854
T. Serafin, G. Marcjasz, and R. Weron, “Trading on short-term path forecasts of intraday electricity prices,” Energy Economics, vol. 112, article 106125, 2022. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106125
G. Marcjasz, B. Uniejewski, and R. Weron, “Beating the Naïve – Combining LASSO with Naïve Intraday Electricity Price Forecasts,” Energies, vol. 13, no. 7, article 1667, 2020. Available: https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071667 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071667
W. Cole and A. Karmakar, Cost Projections for Utility-Scale Battery Storage: 2023 Update. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-6A40-85332. Available: https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/85332.pdf
M. Liebensteiner, F. Ocker, and A. Abuzayed, “High electricity price despite expansion in renewables: How market trends shape Germany’s power market in the coming years,” Energy Policy, vol. 198, article 114448, 2025. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114448 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114448
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mathis Wilz, Richard Lackes (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.