Just like a bridge over troubled waters, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) can help solve the reliability gaps that accompany renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. In this article, we’ll look at how a BESS — especially when paired with advanced grid-monitoring — can enhance stability and prevent the waste of on-site renewable energy.
The Rise of Renewable Energy
Nations around the world are shifting toward renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. A recent report reveals a global 50% increase in renewable energy capacity in 2023 compared to 2022 and predicts that growth will only accelerate over the next five years.
But renewable energy comes with unique challenges. The sun isn’t always shining, and the wind doesn’t blow 24/7. That means Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) like wind turbines and solar panels collect variable amounts of energy from day to day — or even from hour to hour. They cannot be relied on to supply a steady stream of power, so they must be utilized in tandem with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that can store extra energy during times of abundant production.
A BESS consists of a collection of batteries able to charge and discharge as needed to balance supply and demand, supplement during peak times, and provide backup power when the main grid is down.
The Role of BESS in Solving Reliability Gaps
BESS is the solution of choice for commercial, industrial, and residential settings. Coupled with a Battery Management System (BMS) and analytics, it can also monitor energy use over time and ensure a conditioned flow of power even during grid outages.
Understanding Reliability Gaps
Because sunlight and wind are inconsistent and changeable, so are the power generation systems that depend on them. For example, if a residential community in a tropical area with abundant sunshine relies on solar power for its primary energy source, residents can still experience unreliable power flow during the darker hours.
For example, solar power (PV) is already embraced by millions of homes and businesses worldwide. With so many solar panels generating energy on the grid, it has caused challenges in balancing the 24/7 supply and load factor throughout the day. This leads to a ‘duck curve’ a term coined in 2012, representative of the instability and fluctuations of supply and demand.
BESS can enhance grid stability by storing extra power,regulating usage and smoothing out the duck curve over a 24 hour time period. This capability prevents energy waste and ensures a more stable, reliable grid. Citizens can enjoy a regulated, sustainable flow of power, even when the sun isn’t shining.
BESS As a Bridge Technology for Renewables
As the above scenario illustrates, we need a bridge technology for renewable energy applications — a BESS provides that link. Beyond storing excess energy for later use, a BESS can also help integrate renewable DERs into the main grid.
Using a BESS can help make renewables more reliable, particularly during off-peak hours and varying seasons. When the battery system is accompanied by an advanced software-based management system, operators can balance supply and demand and provide backup power during outages. Add in a reliable power generation system, and you have the makings of a microgrid that can help you maintain a consistent flow of power while optimizing performance and minimizing costs.
Batteries As a Renewable Resource
While batteries themselves are renewable in that they’re rechargeable, they often rely on non-renewable resources such as cobalt and nickel to operate. As innovators strive to uncover more sustainable options for battery production, it’s smart to pay attention to the battery chemistry involved in any solution you consider — especially if environmental impact is an area of concern. The best-known and most widely used batteries in BESS solutions today, LiFePO4s (also known as LFPs) rely on iron, a more sustainable metal than nickel or cobalt.
Integrating BESS With Grid-Monitoring Services
Monitoring local power production and regulating it for effective use at your site is the job of the BMS, an essential companion for a BESS. But when you add a grid-monitoring service to the mix, you gain even more insightful data that can help optimize energy usage and minimize spending.
Pairing a BESS with grid-monitoring services like Grove365, e2’s Grid Response Optimization of Virtual Energy. Grove allows you to continuously monitor energy assets, weather, and market conditions, so you can optimize energy usage.
Our system examines and analyzes utility bills and folds in historical data with advanced analytics to predict peak demand times so you can avoid increased charges. We also work with a network of suppliers to secure the most competitive rates and terms based on your organization’s individual needs. With Grove, you can be sure that the BESS operates at peak efficiency 24/7.
Creating Ongoing Revenue Streams
When integrated with a BESS, Grove365 can also help you create ongoing revenue streams from your DERs by selling excess energy back to the grid during peak times. For example, Oil Creek Plastics, a family-owned and operated business in Titusville, Pennsylvania, chose to install e2’s patented R3Di® System to improve power quality and reliability. In addition to connecting to the electric grid and a natural gas generator, the R3Di® System will store energy from the facility’s 1000kW solar photovoltaic panels. Oil Creek Plastics will be prepared to power critical loads for its building operations and potentially receive credits from the local public utility for producing excess power on sunny days.
The Future of Power With BESS
In light of climate concerns, governments, businesses, and individuals around the world will continue to embrace renewable energy sources. The BESS’s ability to store and save power as it’s generated will make renewable energy more accessible, resilient, and reliable.
Incorporating BESS is crucial for the future of power, particularly to enhance the reliability of renewable energy and ensure grid stability. Access to battery storage means you can collect excess renewable energy during peak production times and release it as needed — or sell it to the public grid. Clearly, BESS is a much-needed bridge technology, making renewable energy a more reliable, viable option for the present — and the future.
Ready to explore how you can integrate R3Di® and Grove365 to improve your energy system’s reliability and sustainability? Schedule a consultation today.