Can you make money by storing energy in charging stations?

What are the hottest topics in our industry in 2023? "PV& storage& charging" must be one of them, especially energy storage.

I believe many people will have questions, to build this system, how much should be paid? Under what conditions is it suitable? Will the integration of storage and charging eventually become a trend?

01

Charging station + energy storage, what's the cost?

To understand this, let’s first understand the respective profit models of energy storage and charging stations.

First of all, energy storage and charging stations do not generate energy , but only transform energy.

Energy storage currently mainly makes money from the peak-valley price difference, while charging stations make money from service fees. Although they are physically combined, they have separate accounts.

The core variables that affect energy storage revenue are:

One is the peak-to-valley price difference. The larger the price difference, the greater the energy storage kilowatt-hour revenue;

The other is the amount of electricity that can be released during peak hours.

Therefore, the formula of energy storage income = peak-to-valley price difference/kWh discharge amount number of years. The price difference depends on local policies and is not suitable in all places; while the discharge amount depends entirely on the operating capacity of the charging station.

02

What kind of stations are suitable for energy storage? What capacity is needed?

External factors

On the one hand, depend on the local peak-to-trough price difference. The higher, the better.

On the other hand, it depends on the local management policies and approval processes for energy storage. If the requirements are too high, resulting in high hidden costs, it is not suitable.

Internal factors

Mainly focus on the constraints of the charging station itself.

First, energy storage requires a certain amount of floor space, so it is best to have ample corners in the charging station where it can be stacked.

Secondly, the energy storage at the charging station must have a stable charging capacity during peak hours. How much energy storage is needed depends largely on how much charging capacity the charging station can consume during peak hours.

Installing energy storage can reduce the peak power consumption of the load, reduce the demand for power distribution, and make the energy management of the station more flexible. But to achieve this, a comprehensive EMS management system is needed to combine energy storage and charging.

03

Can old stations still use energy storage? Who will invest the money?

Can charging stations that are already in operation be able to store energy?

This is also based on the daily operation data of the charging station. If the peak-to-valley price difference is appropriate and there is a stable charging volume during peak hours every day, energy storage can be considered.

Then who will pay to invest in energy storage?

There are currently two main methods. One is that operators invest by themselves, and the risks and benefits are entirely borne by themselves.

The other is to provide the site and power supply, which will be invested by a separate energy storage investment company, and both parties will share the energy storage benefits. The industry generally has a share ratio of 9:1, that is, investors get 90% of the proceeds and operators get 10%. Of course, they can also be "buyed out."

04

Will the integration of storage and charging become a trend?

Nowadays, the demand for charging is increasing, and there are more and more charging stations, which puts great pressure on the grid syste,. Therefore, various places are advocating the construction of smart microgrids, which can generate electricity, store and dispatch electricity on some nodes, reducing dependence on large power grids. Therefore, energy storage at charging stations is a trend.

So, do you have any other thoughts on energy storage at charging stations? Welcome to send a private message or leave a message in the comment area!