Avangrid and Tyba Complete Strategic Pilot to Advance Battery Energy Storage Systems Across U.S. Energy Markets
Avangrid, Inc., a prominent U.S. energy company and part of the global Iberdrola Group, has announced the successful completion of a groundbreaking pilot project in partnership with Tyba, an energy analytics and optimization firm specializing in battery energy storage systems (BESS). This collaborative initiative was developed to strengthen Avangrid’s capabilities in BESS modeling, enhance site selection processes for new battery storage projects, and refine revenue forecasting models. The pilot is a part of Avangrid’s broader strategy to lead innovation in clean energy infrastructure across the United States.
As the energy sector undergoes a rapid transformation, battery energy storage systems are emerging as essential tools for grid reliability, renewable integration, and energy market optimization. By partnering with Tyba, Avangrid aims to proactively address the growing demand for flexible, reliable, and data-driven energy solutions in the face of rising electricity consumption and increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources.
A Strategic Collaboration for Smarter Energy Storage Deployment
Avangrid’s CEO, Jose Antonio Miranda, emphasized the importance of the initiative in the context of America’s shifting energy needs. “As energy demand continues to surge across the country, battery storage will become increasingly critical for reliable energy supply,” Miranda said. “This pilot project with Tyba is just one example of Avangrid’s approach to investing in innovative and forward-thinking solutions that enhance our own operations while helping the U.S. meet its energy needs.”
Tyba, co-founded by Tom Thunell who also serves as Chief Operating Officer, brings deep expertise in energy analytics, having optimized over 2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of operational storage capacity across various markets. Thunell commented on the significance of the pilot, stating, “It has been great to partner with Avangrid as they advance their efforts in the energy storage sector. When honing an energy storage investment case, it is critical to understand how the battery will generate revenue. Tyba’s platform simulates battery operations — informed by real-world optimization experience — to demonstrate not only potential returns but also the operational strategies needed to achieve those outcomes.”
National Scale and Scope: Modeling Across Thousands of Locations
During the pilot, Avangrid’s teams worked closely with Tyba on a weekly basis through collaborative workshops and interactive modeling sessions. The pilot’s scope was broad, encompassing simulation of BESS operations across more than 2,400 unique locations within seven major U.S. power markets, including grid operators and independent system operators (ISOs) such as PJM Interconnection, CAISO (California), ERCOT (Texas), ISO-NE (New England), MISO (Midcontinent), SPP (Southwest Power Pool), and NYISO (New York).
This multi-regional approach allowed Avangrid to gain a granular and comparative understanding of how BESS would perform under various market dynamics, regulatory environments, and grid conditions. From forecasting battery revenue potential to operational behavior during real-time energy market fluctuations, the insights developed during the pilot are expected to guide Avangrid’s future storage investment strategies and project siting decisions.
Innovative Pricing Metrics and Revenue Simulation
One of the key technical innovations of the pilot involved the use of new pricing metrics to analyze the difference between high and low electricity prices on a daily basis. These metrics were critical in understanding battery arbitrage potential — the ability to charge when electricity prices are low and discharge when prices are high. By using Tyba’s proprietary simulation platform, Avangrid was able to identify locations where price volatility is most favorable for battery storage, thereby maximizing the financial viability of storage deployment.
The ability to model these price spreads with high precision gave Avangrid valuable insights into market dynamics that impact storage profitability. The platform also enabled revenue modeling under multiple service streams, including energy arbitrage, capacity services, and ancillary services such as frequency regulation and spinning reserve.
Comprehensive Operational Modeling in Real and Simulated Markets
Beyond revenue forecasting, Tyba’s platform offered a sophisticated engine for simulating BESS operations under various market timelines — including real-time (RTM), day-ahead (DAM), and ancillary services markets. This functionality allowed Avangrid to develop and test numerous operational scenarios, customizing battery behavior in accordance with specific market rules and constraints in each region.
By applying both historical and forecasted electricity pricing data, Avangrid’s analysts could assess how each BESS would perform in past market conditions and how it might respond to projected trends. Hundreds of simulations were conducted, tailored to reflect the unique grid conditions and regulatory frameworks of each operator. These simulations provided insights into the trade-offs between different market participation strategies, enabling more informed decision-making around asset optimization.
Developing In-House Expertise for a Rapidly Changing Landscape
While the pilot delivered actionable data and technical outputs, it also served as a valuable training ground for Avangrid’s internal teams. By working hands-on with Tyba’s tools and processes, Avangrid staff developed deeper familiarity with energy storage economics, market behavior, and BESS optimization techniques. This investment in internal knowledge will help the company maintain a leading edge in a highly dynamic and competitive industry.
Moreover, the collaborative nature of the project — structured around ongoing working sessions and knowledge transfer — reflects Avangrid’s broader commitment to strategic partnerships and internal capability building. The company recognizes that scaling battery storage successfully will require not only capital and infrastructure but also deep market intelligence and advanced analytical frameworks.
Battery Storage as a Central Pillar of Avangrid’s Energy Strategy
The pilot with Tyba fits into Avangrid’s larger vision of building a cleaner, more resilient energy system through renewable integration and grid modernization. As part of its long-term decarbonization goals, Avangrid is actively investing in wind, solar, and now battery storage as complementary technologies that can deliver both environmental and economic benefits.
“Energy storage is a cornerstone of Avangrid’s future portfolio,” said a company spokesperson. “Whether paired with renewables in hybrid projects or deployed as standalone grid assets, storage allows us to provide cleaner energy when it is most needed — and do so reliably, efficiently, and economically.”
This aligns with federal and state-level policy trends that increasingly incentivize battery deployment through tax credits, grid resilience mandates, and clean energy targets. With this pilot, Avangrid has taken a proactive step to position itself for success in this rapidly maturing sector.
