The Rise of BESS in Commercial and Industrial Applications

As forward-thinking professionals aiming to advance battery technology, we are on the brink of a significant change. The infusion of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into the commercial and industrial sectors signals the dawn of a new era, redefining how we store and harness energy.

The Essence of BESS: Diverging from conventional battery applications, BESS introduces a revolutionary approach to energy storage. It transcends the simple act of power retention, delving into the intricacies of energy optimization, fortification of reliability, and the seamless assimilation of renewable energy.

Applications in Industry and Commerce:

1. Peak Shaving Strategies:BESS strategically curtails energy costs by adeptly storing electricity during periods of low demand, subsequently releasing it during peak demand. This dynamic approach circumvents higher energy prices, offering substantial economic benefits.
2. Emergency Backup Protocols:Acting as a stalwart guardian during power outages, BESS provides a reliable power backup. This ensures the uninterrupted continuity of operations within the realms of commercial and industrial facilities, safeguarding against potential disruptions.
3. Pioneering Renewable Integration:As industries pivot towards sustainable practices, BESS assumes a pivotal role in the storage of intermittent renewable energy, such as solar and wind. This capability ensures that green energy is readily available whenever the demand arises.
4. Contributing to Grid Stabilization:BESS emerges as a stalwart contributor to grid stability by deftly balancing the intricate interplay of supply and demand. This proactive approach prevents power fluctuations that could otherwise pose risks to sensitive industrial equipment.

Dominating Traditional Systems:

1. Unmatched Efficiency:BESS systems outshine traditional storage methods by showcasing unparalleled efficiency in both the charging and discharging of energy. This efficiency translates into tangible benefits, optimizing energy utilization.
2. Tailored Scalability:One of the remarkable features of BESS lies in its scalability. These systems exhibit a remarkable capacity to scale according to the unique energy demands of the facility, ensuring optimal performance at all times.
3. Championing Sustainability:At its core, BESS actively champions the transition towards renewable energy sources, aligning with the broader trajectory towards a greener and more sustainable future.

Looking Inside a BESS: What a BESS Is and How It Works

Before delving into the specifics, it's essential to grasp a couple of fundamental concepts regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and their operations. Initially, the term BESS serves as a generic reference for an electronic Power Conversion System (PCS), such as an inverter, coupled with some form of battery. From the perspective of Distribution Network Operators (DNO) and Transmission System Operators (TSO), the specific type of battery holds less significance compared to the PCS, which is the primary point of interest.

The battery employed can range from conventional car batteries to modern lithium-ion batteries, or even more advanced options like cryo-batteries or flow batteries. The chosen battery type dictates the storage capacity and the speed at which chemical energy can be converted into electrical energy.

Secondly, a crucial yet often misconstrued concept pertains to the differentiation between power (MW) and energy (MWh). A BESS rated at 1MW & 1MWh can deliver 1MW for an hour, 0.5MW for 2 hours, or 0.25MW for 4 hours, maintaining the constraint imposed by the inverter rating and system design. DNOs emphasize the MW capacity, as it governs the primary power flows within their network.

This brings us to the third point - power swings. While straightforward MW flow is discernible in DNOs' heat maps, the network's ability to handle substantial power swings is less evident and typically necessitates thorough analysis.

Power swings refer to the speed at which the BESS transitions from import to export and vice versa. For services like power arbitrage, the transition is gradual, posing minimal impact on power swings. However, for rapid response services like DC, a 50MW BESS can undergo significant power swings, potentially shifting from full export to full import in 1 second, resulting in a 100MW/s power swing – a challenge for robust power systems. This is why G99 forms inquire about the ramp rate of the BESS.

Lastly, it's crucial to acknowledge that a BESS can furnish reactive power alongside active power, simultaneously contributing to regulating voltage on the DNO network. Proper sizing allows a BESS to offer both 20MW of active power and 20MVAr of reactive power.

In grid applications for a BESS, understanding the intended services and local constraints is pivotal. DNOs and National Grid typically seek information on the MW capacity, worst-case power swings, and reactive power flow capability, as these factors influence system behavior and responses, with less emphasis on the MWh rating.

The System Structure of a Battery Energy Storage System

A Battery Energy Storage System is made up of different integral parts. Each part plays a crucial role in effectively keeping the batteries and the BESS cool, safe & efficient. Below is an image of how these parts are connected in the BESS.

Monitors & Control

• Battery Management System (BMS)

The storage device is controlled by the Monitors & Control module, also referred to as BMS (Battery Management System). It is a real-time monitoring system which consists of electronic circuit apparatus that will monitor the state of the battery. It also manages the process of charging and discharging, alarm and protect the battery, and optimise the operation of battery cells and modules to guarantee their safety, reliability, and stability. TROES’ proprietary BMS has three layers of design which includes cell supervision circuit, sub battery management unit and master battery management.

• Local Microgrid Controller

The microgrid controller is provided as an optional component according to the project requirement. The microgrid controller performs the monitoring, dispatching and management of distributed energy storage systems. It also displays information to users in real-time including operating status, operating parameters, anomalies and is a useful tool for operating costs and revenue analysis of the energy storage system.

Temperature Control

• Environment Sensor & Control System

The environmental sensor detects any abnormal surrounding conditions of the BESS and if found, sends a signal to the environment control module. This includes door sensors, flooding sensors, smoke sensors and more. The environment control module is mainly composed of a precision air conditioner, air cooling duct and automatic control system, which provides an ideal temperature and humidity environment for batteries during charging and discharging.

• Fire Suppression System

The fire suppression system guarantees the safe operation of the energy storage system and is designed in accordance with the potential risk characteristics of the battery charging/discharging process, to prevent electrical fire inside the container.

Power Conversion System (PCS)

The Power Conversion System (PCS) is an electrical or electro-mechanical device for converting electrical energy DC to AC and vice versa. Most loads use AC but batteries and solar panels have a DC output. This could be as simple as a transformer to change the voltage of AC power, but also includes far more complex systems. An energy storage using PCS is bi-directional inverter/charger, compared with a PV inverter.

Breaker, Switch & Transformer

For additional protection, there is a DC switch between PCS and storage device and an AC breaker between PCS and AC transformer. The solar energy DC input or DC output load can be connected to the system after the DC switch.?The transformer is a major external component that ensures the output of the BESS fits the client requirements on AC voltage.?

Enclosure

Customers have the option of choosing an indoor cabinet or an outdoor cabinet or container. Enclosures come in various default sizes, but can also be customized to fit the project’s space limitations and requirements. All Battery Energy Storage System components except the transformer are integrated into a container or cabinet.

Storage

For a Battery Energy Storage System, the storage device is the core component.??The storage device is used to store the energy charged from grid or renewable energy. Below is the structure of our storage device with a breakdown of what each part does and how they come together.

• Mono-Cell & Cells

The mono-cell is the most basic unit, which is a single aluminium sealed battery unit of LiFePO4 technology. These mono-cells are packaged together and turned into the cell.?A?cell?refers to a single anode and cathode separated by electrolyte used to produce a voltage and current. A?battery?can be made up of one or more?cells.?Battery cells are then connected in series or in parallel to compose a battery module.

• Module

The module is a combination of several single battery cells which are electrically connected and housed in a shell forming the module. These modules are then packaged and connected together into our proprietary battery packs.

• Battery Pack

A battery pack is a set of any number of identical battery modules or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage, capacity, or power density.

• Battery System

The battery system is a multitude of battery packs that are connected in a series to make it a string. There is a limitation on the number of battery packs in a rack based on the limitation of certification and DC voltage. One or more of these strings of batteries become the battery system.

Putting It All Together

In sum, a BESS collects energy from an electricity grid or renewable power sources, such as solar and wind, and stores it using battery storage technology. Then, batteries discharge and release the energy when necessary—during peak demands, power outages, and in a variety of other applications.?

BESSs can accommodate different batteries, including lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel-cadmium batteries, and others—we’ll elaborate on them later in the article. Every battery type has certain technical specifications that designate BESS uses and affect the efficiency of battery energy storage. The principal battery characteristics embrace:

• Storage capacity. This is the amount of electric charge stored by a battery or the amount of electricity available in a BESS.
• Power. This parameter determines the amount of power supplied by a battery or the output power that a BESS can provide.
• Round-trip efficiency. This displays the ratio of energy delivered by a battery during discharge to the energy supplied to the battery during a charge cycle.
• Depth of Discharge (DoD). This shows the percentage of energy discharged from a battery relative to its total capacity.
• Lifetime. This can be defined as the number of charge and discharge cycles of a battery or the amount of energy that a battery can supply during its lifetime (battery throughput).
• Safety. This is an important characteristic that shows the battery’s compliance with safety requirements, for example, in terms of the battery chemistry.

In addition to the above battery specifications, storage battery systems have other characteristics that describe their performance. For example,?response time?is the time a BESS needs to move from the idle state and start working at full power.?

Ramp rate?is the rate at which the system can increase or decrease its power output—ramp it up or down, respectively.??

BESS’s Coming to Your Aid

Choosing batteries for energy storage can be beneficial for several reasons. First off, battery storage ideas have no limits regarding location—you don’t need to provide huge water tanks or underground air reservoirs. Owing to its availability and flexibility, a BESS can fit in well with applications that require varying power and storage capacity levels. Moreover, modern battery technologies tilt toward lightweight, cost-efficiency, safety, and environmental friendliness. Let’s consider the use cases of a battery energy storage system and the essential problems it can solve.

Load Management (Energy Demand Management)

BESSs help balance loads between on-peak and off-peak times. Electricity demands may vary depending on the day, time, season, and other factors. The higher the demand, the higher the electricity cost and vice versa—pricing gets lower during off-peak hours. By accumulating energy when the demand is low and discharging it in peak periods, battery storage solutions enable users to save on electricity tariffs?(peak shaving).?

Energy Time-Shift (Arbitrage)

As mentioned above, electricity prices fluctuate at different times, having both rises and falls. Battery energy storage systems allow for energy time-shifting—energy is purchased at a low price during off-peak periods and sold or used when the price increases. Thus, irrespective of the season and electricity demand, BESSs can equalize energy prices and minimize risks.???

Backup Power

A BESS can supply backup power in case of an electricity grid failure until complete power restoration. Larger storage capacity and integration with renewable energy sources enable BESSs to back up energy for longer periods. By operating as an?uninterruptable power supply (UPS), a commercial battery storage solution can be a time and money saver as it eliminates downtime.?

Black-Start Capability

A BESS can replace a diesel or natural gas generator used by power plants to restore power generation after blackouts by leveraging its black-start capabilities. Based on battery storage, power systems can restart after a total shutdown without using external electricity networks. The fast response time of a BESS helps systems recover in the shortest possible time.

Frequency Control

Battery storage systems can regulate frequency in the grid, making sure its value lies within the required range. If the amount of generated power disagrees with the actual electricity demand, the frequency can either exceed or fall below its nominal value. Such discrepancies may result in temporary disconnections, power failures, or blackouts. BESSs can immediately react to power interruptions, providing sub-second?frequency response, and stabilize the grid.?

Microgrids

A BESS is an essential part of microgrids—distributed power networks that can be connected to the utility grid or totally independent. Standalone microgrids located in remote regions can rely on battery storage systems integrated with intermittent renewable energy sources. Such solutions enable smooth power generation and help avoid heavy expenses and air pollution associated with diesel generators.

BESSs find wide use in different industries and application areas. For example,?front-of-the-meter (FTM)?applications comprise battery storage systems in electric power systems, such as utility-scale generation and energy storage facilities as well as transmission and distribution lines.?Behind-the-meter (BTM)?applications embrace transportation, including electric vehicles and marine systems, residential, commercial, and industrial battery storage solutions.?

Building a BESS: Pros and Cons

Tailor-made BESSs can make up for what’s lacking in out-of-the-box solutions offered by major battery storage systems providers. So, they can meet the exact needs of your potential consumers. However, implementing a custom product is a time-taking and resource-consuming task. Building a battery energy storage solution belongs to large-scale, long-running projects that can last for months or even years.

A BESS is a complex, multilayer engineering system, so developing a battery-based storage solution from the ground up requires deep knowledge in various fields, including battery technologies,?power electronics, and?embedded software development. ?

You’ll have to take care of the product certification too. Apart from international standards, such as?IEC,?ISO,?IEEE, and?UL, a BESS is highly likely to need to meet specific national standards and certification requirements in each particular country. For example, in the United States, an energy storage system must also conform to the regulations of the?Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the?Department of Energy (DOE), and some regulatory agencies at the state level.?

The engineering team engaged in BESS development must be well-versed in the certification requirements and applicable standards. This helps mitigate risks in the system’s design and delivers a high-quality product to your end user on time and within budget.??

Despite the challenges, designing a bespoke BESS can enhance usability, reduce operating costs, and improve the reliability of the system. After drilling down the market, you can heed the customers’ needs, consider the shortcomings of off-the-shelf BESSs, and create highly sought-after battery energy storage solutions.

Implementing your own product makes you independent of any particular BESS provider and its services. You can set up, maintain, support, and deliver other services to your customers in a prompt manner and without intermediaries.?

Conclusion

A BESS is a multi-component energy storage system able to store varying amounts of electrochemical energy and use it later for a range of purposes—be it peak shaving, energy arbitrage, or a black start.?

The advances in battery technology make a BESS a light and affordable solution for both residential and commercial use, including smart homes, large-scale industrial facilities, and utility grids. Buildings, villages, towns, and even entire islands can employ battery storage integrated with green energy for a reliable, self-sufficient power supply.??

So if you’re looking to create a battery energy storage system or need an expert opinion on its development and implementation, lets connect and discuss?to get things started.