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What Is BESS

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19 views

What Is BESS

Uploaded by

uisolarbd1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is BESS?

The battery energy storage system (BESS) is an advanced technological solution that allows energy
storage in multiple ways for later use.

How does a battery energy storage system work?


The operating principle of a battery energy storage system (BESS) is straightforward. Batteries receive
electricity from the power grid, straight from the power station, or from a renewable energy source like
solar panels or other energy source, and subsequently store it as current to then release it when it is
needed. When combined with software, a BESS battery becomes a platform that couples the energy
storage capacity of batteries with the intelligence needed to deliver advanced management of energy
consumption by harnessing AI, Machine Learning and data-driven solutions. This makes batteries a tool
in the effort to offset climate change, because they enable a more flexible way of using energy that lets
the user adapt to dips and peaks in demand and supply.

BESS: main applications?


Battery storage can be used in many ways that go beyond the simple emergency backup in the event of
an energy shortage or blackout. Applications differ depending on whether the storage is being used for a
business or a home.

For commercial and industrial users, there are several applications:

Peak shaving, or the ability to manage energy demand to avoid a sudden short term spike in
consumption

Load shifting, which allows businesses to shift their energy consumption from one time period to
another, by tapping the battery when energy costs more

Flexibility, whereby customers can reduce their site’s grid demand at critical times – without changing
their electricity consumption. Energy storage therefore makes it a lot easier to participate in a Demand
Response program and save on energy costs

Battery Energy Storage Solutions

Battery Energy Storage Solutions

Integrated solutions to save energy and boost your business

Microgrids rely on batteries as a key component, because these grids need energy storage to enable
them to disconnect from the main electricity grid when needed

Integration with renewable energy sources, since batteries guarantee a smooth and continuous
electricity flow in the absence of the availability of power from renewable.
Residential users benefit from application of energy storage system by:

Self consumption, since residential users can produce solar energy during the daylight hours and then
run their appliances at home at night

Emergency backup in the event of a blackout

Going off the grid, or detaching completely from an electrical or energy utility

Types of Energy Storage?

Storage options include batteries, thermal, or mechanical systems. All of these


technologies can be paired with software that controls the charge and discharge
of energy.

There are many types of energy storage; this list serves as an informational
resource for anyone interested in getting to know some of the most common
technologies available. You can learn more about these and other energy storage
technologies in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Storage Handbook Link
opens in new window - close new window to return to this page..

Batteries
There are various forms of batteries, including: lithium-ion, flow, lead acid,
sodium, and others designed to meet specific power and duration requirements.

Initially used for consumer products, lithium-ion batteries now have a range of
applications including smaller residential systems and larger systems that can
store multiple megawatt hours (MWh) and can support the entire electric
footprint for the amount of energy they store. For example, a system the size of a
small refrigerator could power an average home for several days. A utility-scale
system of 100 MWh could fit on less than 0.5 acres.

Lithium-ion batteries have received a lot of press for their rapidly declining costs,
due to the growing popularity of electric vehicles.

A different type of battery is a flow battery in which energy is stored and provided
by two chemicals that are dissolved in liquids and stored in tanks. These are well
suited for longer duration storage.

Thermal
Thermal systems use heating and cooling methods to store and release energy.
For example, molten salt stores solar-generated heat for use when there is no
sunlight. Ice storage in buildings reduces the need to run compressors while still
providing air conditioning over a period of several hours. Other systems use
chilled water and dispatchable hot water heaters. In all cases, excess energy
charges the storage system (heat the molten salts, freeze the water, etc.) and is
later released as needed.

Mechanical Systems
Flywheels
Flywheels store energy in a rapidly spinning mechanical rotor and are capable of
absorbing and releasing high power for typically 15 minutes or less, although
longer duration systems are being developed. These systems can balance
fluctuations in electricity supply and demand where they respond to a control
signal adjusted every few seconds. They also recapture braking energy from
electric trains in some installations or provide short-term power until backup
generation comes online during a grid outage, such as in a critical manufacturing
process where product would be lost by a momentary electric interruption.

Pumped Hydro Power


Pumped hydroelectric facilities are the most common form of energy storage on
the grid and account for over 95% of the storage in use today. During off-peak
hours, turbines pump water to an elevated reservoir using excess electricity.
When electricity demand is high, the reservoir opens to allow the retained water
to flow through turbines and produce electricity. Siting these systems can be
difficult because of the terrain needed (an upper and lower pool of water) and
large footprint.

Emerging Technologies
Compressed air, superconducting magnets, underground pumped storage, and
hydrogen storage are all forms of emerging energy storage that are in different
stages of development. Like NYSERDA, many storage vendors are technology
agnostic—they can use their software to dispatch different storage technologies
and will procure the storage technology from a manufacturing partner that best
suits the requirements of the site.

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