Interview with Marion Perrin, R&D director at Energy Pool

In this edition, we interview Marion Perrin, R&D director at Energy Pool, an industrial partner playing a central role in shaping the market readiness of the HiHELIOS solution. Active across several work packages, Energy Pool focuses particularly on the economic validation and scalability of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESS). Their contribution centres on developing business models, techno-economic evaluation tools, and deployment strategies that ensure the hybrid storage concepts designed in HiHELIOS can be translated into viable large-scale applications. By combining their expertise in flexibility services with advanced energy management platforms, Energy Pool helps connect technical innovation with real operational and market needs, supporting the project’s ambition to accelerate the rollout of flexible and decarbonised energy systems across Europe.

Could you introduce Energy  Pool and outline its main areas of expertise in the energy sector?

Energy Pool is a key player in the energy transition, providing advanced services and software solutions for the management and optimisation of complex energy systems. Since 2009, we have been pioneering flexibility services in France, helping industrial and commercial consumers, renewable producers, and storage operators optimise their energy usage and costs while supporting grid stability.

With over 400 employees and operations managing more than 8 GW of capacity worldwide, Energy Pool combines deep operational expertise with cutting-edge digital tools to deliver reliable, affordable and low-carbon energy solutions. We are currently active in France, Japan, Turkey, the Netherlands, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium, and are expanding into several additional countries across Europe and Africa.

What key competences and technologies does Energy Pool contribute to the HiHELIOS project?

In HiHELIOS, Energy Pool brings its expertise in Energy Management Software Platform (EMSP) design, optimisation algorithms, and techno-economic analysis.

We ensure that the hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) developed within the project are scalable and ready for industrial deployment. Our team also develops a generic economic evaluation tool for multi-service HESS plants, enabling the assessment of business models across various countries and use cases.

Building on our experience in EMSP development and flexibility markets, we contribute methodologies to quantify and enhance the value of hybrid storage solutions from both technical and economic perspectives.

What motivated your participation in HiHELIOS, and how does this project align with your strategic priorities or innovation roadmap?

HiHELIOS aligns perfectly with Energy Pool’s innovation roadmap, which focuses on accelerating the deployment of flexible, decarbonised, and economically viable energy systems.

By joining the consortium, we aim to co-develop next-generation control and optimisation solutions for hybrid storage systems, enabling a more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

The project’s multi-disciplinary approach, combining advanced hardware design, intelligent control, and business modelling, matches our ambition to provide end-to-end energy management solutions that create tangible value for prosumers and grid operators alike.

Can you describe Energy Pool's specific role and responsibilities within the project?

We contribute almost to all work packages, sharing our knowledge and ensuring  solution scalability and viability, but our biggest role is related to economic task as Energy Pool leads the development of the financial and business models for hybrid energy storage systems, considering the diversity of markets, services, and sustainability aspects.

We contribute to assessing multi-service revenue opportunities and defining the framework for scalable industrial deployment of the HiHELIOS Energy Management System (EMS). Our role bridges technical development and business validation, ensuring that project outcomes can be efficiently translated into real-world applications and future commercial offerings.

From your perspective, what are the main challenges and expected impacts of HiHELIOS on the energy storage landscape and on Energy Pool's future solutions?

The main challenges lie in integrating multiple storage technologies and ensuring they operate synergistically under different market conditions. HiHELIOS provides an opportunity to demonstrate the technical feasibility and economic attractiveness of hybrid storage at scale.

For Energy Pool, the project will enhance our portfolio of EMSP solutions and support the development of digital tools that optimise hybrid assets in complex energy systems. In the long term, HiHELIOS will help pave the way toward more flexible, sustainable, and efficient power systems, fully aligned with Energy Pool’s mission to make reliable and affordable electricity accessible while reducing CO₂ emissions.