From pv magazine France
Storio Energy, a B2B battery energy storage company, has published its updated electricity price observatory for February 2026. After a tense January, February showed early late-winter dynamics: negative prices, strong intraday dispersion, and the first effects of the 15‑minute market interval.
The month featured two distinct periods. The first ten days retained a winter profile, with low temperatures and supported spot prices. The second half saw a warming trend, reduced electricity consumption, and a sharp drop in prices. This pushed the monthly average spot price to €46 ($53.40)/MWh, which is unusually moderate for a winter month.
Negative prices appeared as early as February, while in 2025 they only emerged at the end of March. The change reflects structural evolution in France’s electricity mix, with 6 GW of additional PV capacity installed in 2025.
High afternoon solar output combined with mild temperatures caused occasional overproduction, driving prices to zero or negative levels. 2026 is expected to break records for the frequency and size of such overproduction events, underlining the value of battery storage to absorb and monetize excess energy.
Even with low average spot prices of €46/MWh, morning and evening peaks remained strong, averaging €108/MWh. The average difference between minimum and maximum prices was €94/MWh, confirming persistently high intraday volatility.
In this context, BESS revenues are increasing. Five months after France moved to a 15‑minute spot market interval in October 2025, arbitrage revenues have risen by an average of 20 %-plus compared with the previous hourly market. Finer granularity increases opportunities to capture price spreads, strengthening the short-term storage business model.
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