Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö Oy (PKS) and Synergi launch EV flexibility pilot

Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö Oy (PKS) has entered into a partnership with Synergi Solutions Oy. In this collaboration, the two companies are launching a flexibility pilot focused on electric vehicle charging, aimed at developing future flexibility solutions and giving households a greater role in the energy system. The pilot runs from September 2026 to March 2027 and covers all PKS Sähkökauppa customers who charge an EV via Synergi's smart charging feature.

Towards a more flexible energy system

Modern technology solutions, like smart and remote control of devices via Synergi's software,  allow households to participate in grid flexibility without the need for heavy, manual installations. This opens new, cost-effective ways for energy companies to test and scale flexibility together with their customers.

Synergi's own Rewards programme has already tested EV flexibility extensively in Finnish reserve markets. This pilot takes that work a step further, testing flexibility in direct collaboration with an electricity retailer. The insights gained will help shape how household flexibility, and EV charging in particular, can be integrated into everyday grid operations going forward.

How the pilot works

All PKS Sähkökauppa customers with an electric vehicle connected to the Synergi app are included in the pilot, which will run from September 2026 to March 2027.

During the pilot, Synergi will conduct occasional flexibility tests as part of smart charging sessions. These tests are already carried out through the Smart Rewards feature, where EV drivers earn points and redeem rewards in exchange for making their charging availability flexible. This means charging can be started or paused depending on the needs of the electricity grid.

As part of the pilot, the tests will be conducted in collaboration with PKS to generate practical learnings for electricity retailers on how EV charging flexibility can be leveraged to support the electricity system and create value from flexible consumption.

‍
Benefits for EV drivers

Smart charging and rewards is a Synergi app feature designed for EVs. It balances the electricity grid and automatically schedules charging for the most affordable times on the spot market. The EV connects to the app via cloud services without any additional hardware installations. Drivers simply set their desired ready-by time in the app and plug in as usual; Synergi takes care of the rest, optimising charging for both electricity price and grid demand. PKS customers on a Priima spot-price contract get the most out of the service.

Synergi's smart charging supports over 400 device brands and models, with new devices added continuously.

About Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö Oy

Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö Oy (PKS) is a regional energy company based in Joensuu, North Karelia, providing electricity contracts, solar feed-in agreements, and energy services to households and businesses across the region.

About Synergi Solutions Oy

Synergi is a Finnish technology company that connects distributed energy assets, energy companies, and energy markets to help balance the electricity grid through smart energy use and participation in energy markets.

Synergi provides technical aggregation of energy assets between 5 kW and 5 MW with its cloud-based solution. The company enables utilities and asset managers to steer and optimise C&I and residential energy assets via API, including EVs, heat pumps, solar panels, and batteries. Synergi controls 55 MW of capacity across 15 European countries and operates Finland's first residential EV aggregator in the mFRR reserves.