As energy prices become more volatile and the grid faces growing pressure, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) businesses across Australia are turning to smarter solutions to reduce costs and boost resilience. One of the most game-changing developments is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
By combining storage with intelligent decision-making, businesses can now unlock new value — not just by using stored energy, but also by trading energy on the wholesale market.
What Is AI-Driven Battery Storage?
Traditional battery storage lets you store energy for later use, often to avoid peak tariffs or provide backup power. But when you add AI, things get much more intelligent. An AI-driven battery system learns how your business uses energy, predicts future demand, and makes real-time decisions on when to charge, discharge, or even sell power back to the grid — based on current wholesale prices.
It doesn’t just store power. It makes every kilowatt-hour work smarter.
Key Benefits of AI + BESS for Businesses
⚡ Lower Energy Costs
AI helps avoid high demand charges and leverages off-peak pricing by timing battery usage perfectly. This can lead to thousands in savings annually.
📈 Energy Trading on the Wholesale Market
Smart systems can buy low and sell high — participating in energy arbitrage.
Importantly, AI ensures you don’t sell into the grid when prices are negative, protecting your system from incurring losses (which has become increasingly common in some states).
🔌 Improved Reliability
By forecasting your business’s energy usage, AI can ensure backup power is available when needed — protecting operations during blackouts or grid instability.
🌱 Support for Net Zero Targets
AI can also manage solar integration, ensuring maximum use of your clean energy and reducing reliance on the grid. That means lower emissions and a clearer sustainability story for your business.
Where AI-Driven BESS Is Making an Impact
Industries already benefiting from this technology include:
- Manufacturing: Keeps operations running while slashing energy costs
- Retail & Cold Storage: Protects stock and stabilises refrigeration loads
- Farms & Agribusiness: Offsets rising diesel costs and improves energy independence
- Data Centres: Balances load and improves power resilience
Redx AI: A Smarter Way to Store and Trade Power
At the forefront of this shift is Redx AI — our intelligent energy management platform built directly into the Redx commercial battery system. Redx AI does more than manage battery charge cycles — it gives your business the ability to:
- Optimise usage in real time
- Trade on the wholesale market intelligently
- Avoid negative price exports
- Reduce dependency on the grid
- Unlock powerful energy insights
It’s fully integrated, automatic, and designed for Australian conditions.
FAQs
Q: How does energy trading work for businesses?
A: With Redx AI, your battery can store power when prices are low and sell excess back to the grid when prices rise — all automatically.
Q: Will the system protect me from negative prices?
A: Yes. Redx AI actively avoids discharging when wholesale prices go negative, unlike simpler systems.
Q: Do I need to be on a special plan to use Redx AI?
A: Yes, Redx partners with Localvolts, a platform that allows you to trade electricity based on real-time wholesale prices.
Q: What size businesses benefit most from AI + BESS?
A: Any business with high energy use or peak demand charges can benefit — from small manufacturers to large warehouses.
