In a recent project on Portland, Dorset which included the installation of 400 solar panels and six 22kW EVCP’s, we were asked to supply and install a system that could make the building self sufficient and also store enough power to run the building in the event of a power cut, charge electric vehicle during peak times (but not on the peak tariff) and still have enough capacity to export which would bring in an income. We design and install an Electrical Energy Storage System (EESS) that could manage all of these tasks.
The system includes a back office managed facility that monitors the grid for the most efficient export times and has a weather forecast monitor to predict whether the solar panels will give full charge or whether it should charge itself at night. The system is very flexible, still having the benefits of all the above, even if it has no solar power.
Battery storage systems have many advantages when coupled with renewable and non-renewable energy forms of generation. Battery storage systems are a key component in steadying energy flow by providing a steady supply whenever required, EESS (electrical energy storage systems) can also be used as a back up source of electricity, should there be a grid power cut.
EESS can allow consumers to store low-cost solar energy or cheaper grid tariff imported electricity and discharge it when the cost of electricity is expensive. This allows businesses to avoid higher tariff charges, reduce operational costs and save on their electricity bills.
EESS collects energy from generation energy sources, such as wind and or solar panels or from the electricity grid and stores the energy using battery storage technology. The batteries discharge to release energy when necessary, such as during peak demands, power cuts, or grid balancing. In addition to the batteries, EESS requires additional components that allow the system to be connected to an electrical network.
A bidirectional inverter converts power between the DC battery terminals and the AC line voltage and allows for power to flow both ways to charge and discharge the battery. The other primary element of a EESS is an energy management system (EMS) to coordinate the control and operation of all components in the system.
