Energy Storage

Battery energy storage systems, or BESS, are rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources, like renewable sources, the grid, or generators, and then release it when the power is needed. BESS consist of one or more batteries and can be used to balance the electric grid, provide backup power and improve grid stability.

As the next phase of the Paris Agreement rapidly approaches, governments and organizations around the world are looking to increase the use of renewable energy. Some of the regions with the largest energy users have additional incentives to find alternatives to traditional energy sources. These developments are driving the market for battery energy storage systems. The attractive features, such as flexible installation, modularization, rapid response, and short construction cycles that BESS provides will make it integral to applications such as peak shaving, self-consumption optimization, and backup power in the event of outages.

Battery energy storage has a key part to play in ensuring homes and businesses can be powered by green energy, even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind has stopped blowing. The need for innovative energy storage becomes vitally important as we move from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, which are intermittent by nature. BESS compensates for the shortcomings of intermittent and instability of solar power and wind power. It stores energy generated irregularly and intermittently by solar/wind power generation systems. Through charging and discharging methods, it quickly responds to frequency-regulated and voltage adjustment commands, stabilizes renewable energy output, minimizes output fluctuation, improves power quality, deals with grid stability problems caused by large-scale renewable energy grid connection, improves grid stability and ultimately enables a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable electricity grid.

With the increasing growth of global power demand and the rapid development of renewable energy, the security of the power grid becomes more and more important. Power failure or shortage will have a negative impact on any economy. Battery energy storage system is considered an effective solution to make any grid more reliable and more flexible. They are widely used in places with insufficient power such as homes, businesses and industries to solve the problem of power shortage. By charging at off peak loads and discharging at peak loads BESS provides peak cut/shift and reliable and fast frequency response to the grid. When the grid fails, as an emergency power supply BESS can ensure normal power supply. Not only can it be used for self-consumption, reducing electricity bills, but also sold to the grid for profits. BESS balances the load demand and relieves the impact of peak load on the power grid, reduces the investment cost of upgrading the power grid and the energy loss during transmission and distribution. The overal operation efficiency of electricity equipments is improved.

Generally, when batteries are applied to the grid-level energy storage system, battery technologies are required to satisfy complex and large-scale deployment applications to the power grid. Therefore, the requirements for grid energy storage applications, such as capacity, energy efficiency, lifetime, and power and energy densities, should be considered. In addition, batteries applied to grid-level energy storage systems need to be analyzed in terms of grid services, including frequency regulation, peak shaving, load leveling, and large-scale integration of renewable energies. Due to the remarkable advantages, namely relatively high energy density (up to 200 Wh/kg), high energy effiency (more than 95%), long cycle life (3000 cycles at deep discharge of 80%) and environmental friendliness, lithium ion batteries, among various battery technologies, are currently seen as the dominant storage technology for BESS which store the generated electrical energy for use with a minimal cost to end consumers when demanded.

There are three segments in BESS including utility-scale installations, commercial and industrial installations and residential installations. Utility scale installations are primarily utilities, grid operators, and renewable developers looking to balance the intermittency of renewables, provide grid stability services, or defer costly investments to their grid. Commercial and industrial installatiis are EV charging infrastructure, critical infrastructure such as telecommunication towers, data centers, and hospitals, public infrastructure, commercial buildings, and factories, as well as applications in harsh environments such as mining, construction, oil and gas exploration, and events such as outdoor festivals. Residential installations can be integrated into smart homes or home EV charging systems. Tailored BESS products will help residential customers achieve goals such as self-sufficiency, optimized self-consumption, and lower peak power consumption.