Scaling BtM flexibility: Joulen’s roadmap for European VPP market entry

Joulen partnered with LCP Delta to turn early-stage market signals into a clear, evidence-based strategy for European expansion. The project enabled more focused market prioritisation, aligned product development with regulatory realities, and strengthened board-level confidence in scaling its behind-the-meter flexibility model.

Background: From opportunity to uncertainty

Joulen is a UK-based energy technology company operating at the forefront of the energy transition. Founded to unlock the full value of renewable and flexible energy technologies, the team brings together expertise in software, energy trading, and commercial strategy to help asset owners maximise returns while supporting a cleaner, more resilient power system.

What stands out about Joulen is the way it balances technology with commercial thinking. While the platform itself is software-led, the business is shaped by a team with deep experience in energy markets and trading, and a strong focus on delivering real financial outcomes for customers.

This influences how Joulen approaches both the market and its partnerships. Rather than taking a purely transactional or technology-first approach, the team works closely with partners to navigate complexity together, combining technical capability with a clear focus on value creation. The aim is not just to build a strong platform, but to consistently find the best commercial outcomes for customers in what are often complex and evolving markets.

Having established itself in the GB market, Joulen reached a natural inflection point. With its behind-the-meter (BtM) flexibility model gaining traction, the next step was clear: how to scale beyond its home market and into Europe.

But while the opportunity was clear, the path forward was not.

Like many growing energy tech companies, Joulen’s early view of European markets was shaped by a mix of industry conversations, emerging signals, and anecdotal insight. Some markets, such as Spain, appeared promising on the surface, while others were less well understood but potentially strong candidates.

The core challenge was simple but critical: Which European markets could genuinely support Joulen’s BtM flexibility model, and what would it take to operate successfully in each?

Approach: Turning complexity into decision-ready insight

LCP Delta carried out a structured review of four key European markets, combining regulatory analysis, market sizing and commercial assessment to create a practical, decision-ready strategy.

The work focused on five core areas:

1. Market accessibility
   Assessment of whether behind-the-meter batteries and EVs could participate in wholesale, ancillary, DSO-led and capacity markets, and under what conditions.
2. Regulatory design
   Detailed analysis of market rules, prequalification processes, and the evolving role of aggregators and balancing service providers.
3. Technical requirements
   Evaluation of telemetry standards, data granularity and operational constraints shaping platform design and asset participation.
4. Market maturity and growth signals
   Analysis of EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and solar and battery deployment as indicators of future flexibility potential.
5. Competitive and partner landscape
   Mapping of retailers, OEMs and aggregators to identify partnership opportunities and competitive dynamics.

Rather than producing a simple ranking, the analysis focused on explaining why markets differed, what barriers existed, and what it would take to operate successfully in each.

This challenged the assumption that Joulen’s GB model could be replicated with minimal adaptation, and instead reframed expansion as a market-specific strategy.

Outcome: Sharper strategy and internal alignment

The project provided Joulen with a much clearer and more grounded view of European market opportunities. Where expansion had previously been guided by anecdotal signals, Joulen now had robust, evidence-based insight into:

• Which markets are likely to support BtM flexibility in the near to medium term.
• The importance of enabling factors such as smart metering and asset scale.
• The practical requirements for entering and operating in each market.

This enabled the team to move from broad assumptions to focused prioritisation, identifying markets that align with both their commercial model and long-term strategy.

The work also helped Joulen better understand how its GB model could translate internationally, and where adaptation would be required.

Impact: Reduced risk and stronger foundations for growth

The engagement delivered tangible strategic value:

• More confident investment decisions
  Board-level discussions moved from broad market narratives to decisions grounded in detailed regulatory and commercial analysis.
• Earlier technical readiness
  Platform development is now aligned with known future requirements, reducing the risk of costly retrofitting.
• Sharper market entry strategy
  Joulen can differentiate between early-stage entry models and longer-term participation strategies, depending on market maturity.
• Stronger partner engagement
  Discussions with retailers and OEMs are now informed by a clear understanding of how each market operates today and how it is expected to evolve.