BESS (Battery Energy
Storage Systems)
What are BESS?
Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS, are rechargeable batteries that can store energy produced from other sources – Renewables such as Solar and Wind or the Grid itself – and discharge it for use at a later time when needed. BESS consist of one or more batteries and can be used to balance the electric grid, provide backup power, create a micro grid, and improve grid stability.
Why use a BESS
During “Peak Demand” hours, utility companies are able to charge customers much higher rates than during “Low Demand” hours. A BESS can store the excess electricity produced during Low Demand hours, or from Renewables, and then distribute electricity back to the customer during the “Peak Demand” hours, thus eliminating the utility company and those higher rates or costs. It has greater efficiency and flexibility, faster response times when powering equipment and devices, and lower costs overall compared to other energy storage systems.
BESS Technology
Battery Energy Storage Systems offers more than just a standard battery. It’s fully packed with technologies allowing its system to capture a charge and execute a discharge. The following are the typical technologies or components it includes:
- Inverters – devices that transform direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). AC is the type of electricity used in homes and businesses.
- Control Components – the control components of a BESS manage the charging and discharging of the batteries and regulate the flow of electricity to and from the grid
- Integrated Sensors – integrated sensors monitor the BESS performance and conditions, providing valuable data to help optimize its operation
- Multiple Battery Modules – multiple sets of batteries that work together to store and release energy
More Advantages of BESS
- Cost-effective storage – provides a cost-effective way to store excess energy generated by renewable sources like wind and solar farms, allowing it to be used at a later time when these sources are not available
- Reliable Backup Power – provides backup power during outages or extreme weather events, reducing the need for costly distribution upgrades or running emergency generators continuously during an outage.
- Reduce Grid Congestion – assists in load leveling and grid support, helping to balance fluctuations in electricity demand throughout the day and reduce congestion on the grid.
- Grid Stabilization – can improve power quality by smoothing out voltage fluctuations that may otherwise disrupt equipment operations.
- Greater Flexibility – able to install a BESS almost anywhere due to the small footprint
- Greater Scalability – easily add more battery storage and integrate to the current system.
- Environmental Stewardship – from renewable energy producers, conventional thermal power plant operators and grid operators to industrial electricity consumers, and offshore drilling platforms or vessels, BESS offer highly efficient and cost-effective energy storage solutions. With BESS, you can even generate new revenue streams as it allows energy arbitrage or directly reduce your electricity bill via peak shaving
Some Disadvantages of BESS
- Higher upfront costs compared to other energy from the grid.
- Issues with performance and lifespan are associated with certain types of BESS, such as lithium-ion batteries or flywheels.
- Increased need for maintenance and monitoring, especially if a qualified technician does not install the BESS.
- The reliability of BESS is typically same reliability if engineered right than that of traditional power generation sources like fossil fuels or nuclear power plants.
BESS Applications
Peak Shaving –
Peak shaving reduces the peak electricity demand by using stored energy to meet part of the demand. This can help reduce the overall cost of electricity and the need for new power plants or upgrades to the existing grid.
Micro-grids–
A micro-grid is a small, independent power system that can operate either connected to or disconnected from the main grid. BESS can provide backup power for a micro-grid in an outage and can also help stabilize the grid by providing energy during peak demand periods.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
–
UPS is an electrical apparatus that supplies continuous power to critical loads during power outages. BESS are often used in conjunction with a UPS, as it can help ensure that critical equipment continues to function without interruption during a power outage.
Solar Zones
Our kits are designed for three-day autonomy. In order to do this, we design for the amount of hours of peak sunlight a certain region gets in a day. Use the map to determine which zone you are in, and include that information in the contact form. If you are not sure which zone you are in, we can help you figure that out.
Types of BESS
Some common types include lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, flow batteries, and flywheels. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages in performance, lifespan, cost, and other factors.
Lithium-Ion Batteries – These batteries are one of the most popular types of BESS. They offer a high energy density and are relatively lightweight, making them easy to transport and install.
Lead-Acid Batteries – Lead-acid batteries are another common type of BESS. They are typically cheaper than lithium-ion batteries but have a shorter lifespan, weigh more, and are not as efficient.
Flow Batteries (UPS)– Flow batteries are a newer type of BESS that offer a longer lifespan than traditional lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. They work by storing energy in an electrolyte solution, which can be redirected to different parts of the battery as needed.
Flywheels – Flywheels are another energy storage system that uses kinetic energy to store and release electricity. Flywheels are typically used for short-term storage applications, such as load leveling or backup power generation.
BESS Sizes
The list of bess offen used bess sizes are as follows:
100kw
250kw
500kw
1 megawatt
2.4 megawatt
4.8 megawatt
Find your best-fit battery storage solution
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) from Suninone are comprehensive Systems. Battery units, PCS skids or Containerized storage, and battery management system software are all part of our BESS solutions, ensuring maximum efficiency and safety for each customer. You can count on us for parts, maintenance services, and remote operation support as your reliable service partner.
Suninone Storage solutions are for the Micro grid and offshore market and as well as for utilities and behind the meter networks. For industrial deployment, we offer a customized battery storage solution to meet your unique business need.
Our team of professionals supports you from the beginning of the project by analyzing your business case, designing, and engineering the systems, and helping you throughout the commercial operations and beyond.
Today, commercial buildings and businesses need to focus on energy efficiency and energy security above virtually all else.
With weather patterns becoming more drastic and unpredictable all the time, and the risk of outages increasing, it’s critical for businesses to understand what they can do to protect themselves and their customers from disruptions and intermittency.
In a world where grid-tied power is increasingly less reliable than it use to be, commercial solar battery backup systems are some of the most efficient methods of protection and insurance for companies and organizations.
Meant to provide industrial backups and ongoing security for commercial operations, battery backup for commercial solar can help a company save money, increase output and deal more gracefully with energy uncertainty.
How Can a Commercial Solar Battery System Benefit My Business?
Today, both solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can provide many benefits for companies in both the private and commercial sector.
From promoting cost savings to ensuring a business can handle a grid outage without a loss of production or product, these backup methods are an excellent addition to any company.
Here’s a breakdown of the most significant benefits of commercial solar battery storage:
1. Lower Prices Than Utility Rates: As it stands now, a solar PV system can produce onsite energy at a rate that is at or lower, per-kWh, than what the local utility would charge. A BESS, on the other hand, can deliver tariff-specific demand charge savings, which can be a major benefit for commercial operations, and provide a fix to your cost of Electric over the next 15 years.
That said, most of these systems have been deployed separately…until now. When the two technologies are paired, though, they offer enhanced benefits. Not only are the savings and ROI much higher when the technologies work as a duo, but a combined solar and storage system has the potential to streamline the use of energy and reduce demand charge risk.
In southern California, for example, peak demand drives energy costs from roughly $20 per KW to $42 during high demand periods. Energy storage can help reduce these risks and create savings for commercial organizations.
2. More Reliable Energy: One of the largest challenges facing companies today is solar intermittency, which can make energy production unreliable and difficult to predict.
By installing battery backup systems, though, commercial operations can reduce demand charge risk due to solar intermittency. This, in turn, makes energy production more reliable and reduces the risk of demand charge-related electricity expenses.
3. More Resilient Power Supply: Adding commercial battery backup to an existing solar system will also enhance the resilience of a building’s power supply. This is one of the most important considerations for commercial operations today.
As power outages become increasingly common in some areas, solar systems that include backup technology are also becoming more popular. This integration to an existing or new solar system can be done through DC coupled or AC coupled system.
In a world where the grid is decentralizing, and energy systems are becoming more distributed, solar battery backup systems represent an intelligent approach to creating a resilient power supply.
4. Reliable Backup Power: When a company installs backup batteries, they store excess energy produced by solar panels. This energy is then earmarked for later use.
If an organization experiences an outage or disconnection from the grid, the building can utilize the solar battery backup to access power, even in the event of an outage.
5.Off-Grid Functionality: Depending on the system, solar battery backups can allow a corporation to step completely off the grid.
This means the solar power system will be powerful enough to produce and store ample energy, making a connection to the grid obsolete.
Most organizations that utilize solar battery backup maintain some connection to the grid, as their systems only have enough capacity to provide a few hours of electricity. Or you can design it to run off grid with the grid being you additional back up.
You still get the added Federal Government 30% tax credit on both the solar and the battery storage.
6. A Better Public Image: Today, customers want to do business with companies that support the same social and environmental initiatives that they do.
Because of this, installing solar panels and backup batteries on your company is a great way to attract positive attention and market yourself and your company as an organization that cares about the environment and reducing dependence on nonrenewable resources.
7. Cost Savings: Today, most commercial utility customers pay on a kilowatt-hour basis for the power they use.
These charges are based on the company’s highest usage period within a single billing cycle.
As such, companies are billed for utilization spikes that exceed beyond their standard number of kilowatt-hours, which can create hundreds or even thousands of dollars of cost overrun during months when costs have increased.
It’s not at all uncommon for companies to find that demand charges make up more than 50% of their monthly commercial utility bills. This is a massive financial strain and can make it difficult for companies to thrive in the long-term.
While alternative energy sources, such as solar power, can offset demand charges, batteries are the one element that can truly reduce the costs associated with peak energy use.
By delivering stored solar power on-demand, battery backup systems are ideal for reducing expenses and helping companies save money in the long-term.
The Batteries Behind Solar Storage
Large-scale commercial settings frequently use batteries that are roughly the size of a refrigerator Container. Sun-In-One has units that that go in a 10, 20 and 40 foot Container that can be dropped on site and ready in a short period of time.
These batteries are charged by the energy produced by solar panels. They store power and discharge it when needed. Solar batteries are a great way for commercial buildings to bypass much of the uncertainty that comes with solar intermittency and to secure ongoing power for themselves, regardless of the weather.
Batteries are good at reducing intermittency thanks to the way they work. During a normal day, energy demands rise and fall for any given company. Depending on the type of organization, they may be higher in the morning, drop off in the afternoon, and peak again in the evening. This is a standard equation, and it has a major impact on how most companies pay for their energy.
If you install a solar power system, though, the curve begins to change a bit. Assuming that the solar power system is equipped with battery backup, the stored solar energy can kick in to reduce the number of kilowatt-hours a company needs at any given point of the day.
Since solar panels produce the most energy during peak hours between 7am and 5pm, they have the potential to reduce the overall kilowatts a company requires during that period.
During the hours outside that peak period, the batteries can kick in to supply additional power and offset the company’s demand on the grid.
This system allows most organizations to reduce their kilowatt demand by several hundred watts, creating real and ongoing savings that are both financial and environmental.
Which Organizations are Good Candidates for Solar Energy Storage?
Battery storage works well for corporate locations that have already installed solar panels. By reducing high monthly demand charges, commercial solar battery storage helps companies keep more money in their pockets.
While it’s true that installing a battery backup system used to be very expensive (which limited accessibility for certain organizations), more and more companies are leasing battery storage directly from providers today.
This helps eliminate upfront costs and open the playing field to organizations interested in exploring solar storage.
While most people think of major corporations when they picture commercial solar backup power systems, these companies can benefit equally from solar battery backup:
- Hotels & Resorts
- Offices
- Hospitals
- Universities & schools
- Warehouse operations
- Manufacturing Plants
- Mining Companies
- Agricultural companies with large operations
- Military bases
- Emergency deployments
While battery backup for commercial solar is a promising technology, it’s not right for everyone. If you’re interested in commercial battery systems from Suninone, Inc. – give us a call!
Energy storage has been an integral component of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and consumption for many decades. Today, with the growing renewable energy generation, the power landscape is changing dramatically. Battery-based ESS technology can respond to power drop-outs in under a second, making use of clean energy, sourced from collocated solar or wind plants. In such before-the-meter cases, ESS functions as bulk storage coupled with either renewables generation or transmission and distribution systems. In residential and commercial situations, ESS plays a role in behind-the-meter systems.
When entering the Storage module, you’ll be greeted with the following information.
1.Basic Package – The Saver storage package serves an average house and covers 5 hours/day for 1 day. The battery load is 25%.
2. Basis Plus Package – The Average storage package serves an average house and covers 5 hours/day for 2 days. The battery load is 50%.
3. Power Package –The Power storage package serves an average house and covers 5 hours/day for 5 days. The battery load is 100%.
4. Basis Plus Package – The Average storage package serves an average house and covers 5 hours/day for 2 days. The battery load is 50%.
5. Daily Average Load – This is the average daily energy consumption of the home. This number is being calculated using the consumption information inputted in electric bill. The worst month of the year. This load number is in kWh.
6. Daily Average Energy Production- This is the average daily production of the PV System designed in your area. This production number is in kWh.
Once a package has been selected, you’re able to move on to fine tuning your system to meet your customer’s needs. There are five key variables that can be adjusted to change the system configuration.
- Start with the last hour in the day in which the battery is full charged
- For each hour afterwards:
- Calculate the net load that is needed to be covered (hourly consumption – hourly production)
- Calculate how much energy is removed from the battery to meet that load, accounting for battery discharge efficiency and inverter efficiency.
- If the PV system produces more energy than the load, the battery is charged with excess energy instead.
- Check to see if the battery still has capacity left: if so, continue to the next hour.
- End if the battery reaches its minimum state of charge (if the battery uses up its defined usable capacity)
- The output of this calculation is the backup duration for a given day.
- We repeat this process for every day in the year. The backup duration is the P90 – effectively, 90% of days will last longer than this value, the battery will last at least as long as the provided backup duration.
- We then use the consumption and production profile to discharge or charge the battery, until the battery hits its minimum state of charge or the simulation goes past 1 week.
- In this given example, the battery lasts blank hours in total.
Based on this analysis we give you options on the number of hours of power you and and the estimated power you have in storage and you de side what is the best power and storage option for your project.
BESS installed at the new energy power generation side can be operated under the following several modes, each independent from each other and not necessarily multifunctional:
1. Power variation rate limitation. Power variation rate is limited to a certain range relying on real-time measurement of the output power of a wind power plant. The ESS starts charging when the output power of the wind power plant climbs sharply; it discharges when the output power drops sharply. This aims at meeting the needs of the grid for a certain power variation rate. Under such a mode, the BESS should be installed close to the Load or the generation (solar, wind, Hydrogen power plant.
2. Grid power variation support. The BESS charges and discharges power according to the grid’s dispatch instructions to make extra adjustment for the grid. Under such a mode, the BESS does not target a certain wind power plant. Therefore, it is not necessary for the BESS to be installed near the wind power plant.
3. Voltage regulation. The BESS works on reactive power absorption or release according to real-time need for regulation of transmission voltage.
4. Frequency regulation. The BESS can charge or discharge power according to the signal received each second. Under such a mode, the ESS can maintain a long-term operation at a set State of Charge value.
4. Low-voltage ride-through. The BESS can charge or discharge power according to the signal received each second. Under such a mode, the ESS can maintain a long-term operation at a set State of Charge value.