Ensuring your energy is cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable can be a difficult balancing act, particularly as the impetus to improve each has grown over the past few years. Energy prices have risen rapidly and look set to remain higher than they were pre-pandemic, with an aging and constrained grid risking compromising your site’s access to reliable power. Binding net zero targets for the UK as a whole are steadily approaching, with greater legislative pressure likely to be faced by businesses to play their part as the UK looks to be slipping behind on its carbon reduction ambitions.
Battery energy storage systems offer a host of benefits when it comes to managing energy on a site more intelligently, and is capable of playing a key role in mitigating each of the different elements of what is often referred to as the energy trilemma. Reducing energy costs, unlocking new revenue streams, maximising the performance of on-site renewables or facilitating rapid EV charging without disrupting the rest of the site can all be accomplished with a battery, which also protects your site in the event of your grid supply being disrupted.
With those benefits in mind, it is important to have a good understanding of the practicalities of installing and operating a battery on-site. While none of these factors are likely to prevent a successful installation, they are a useful first port of call when considering a battery installation project.
Location
Commercial batteries are big, often much bigger than some customers envision when they first enquire about a project. Powerstar supplies batteries that are self-contained in shipping containers, typically around six metres in length and nearly three meters high. They have a very sizeable footprint and will often take up a significant portion of a customer’s site. Access is another key consideration, as they are typically delivered via an articulated lorry and lifted into position using a crane. For some businesses, finding an ideal location can be simple, but for many others it can present a significant logistical challenge.
Connections
Connecting a BESS to a site’s existing infrastructure can require extensive cabling work, ensuring that it is able to perform its role as the cornerstone of a site’s energy management strategy effectively. For many batteries, including Powerstar’s, it will also require a data connection to allow the performance of the battery to be monitored and optimised remotely.
Thought should also be put at this stage into how a BESS is going to interact with existing infrastructure on the site. For example, rooftop solar can be maximised by using the BESS to store excess electricity generated during the day, to be later used at night when solar generation has stopped. For energy-intensive technologies such as rapid EV charging, using the battery to provide the capacity required prevents relying on what may be an already constrained mains supply.
Maintenance
Powerstar’s BESS include intelligent control software that manages and optimises performance of a battery in real-time, ensuring that it is working to deliver on a site’s specific energy goals as effectively as possible. They also typically include cooling systems to ensure that excessive temperatures do not impact on the lifespan or performance of the lithium battery cells.
However, routine maintenance is still required to ensure ongoing optimal performance, longevity, and safety. Regular inspections can ensure that worn or damaged components are identified and replaced promptly, as well as ensuring that the data being gathered and analysed remotely is accurate. Fire suppression systems require regular inspections by law.
BESS is an intelligent, flexible energy technology that can offer significant benefit to a wide range of sectors and businesses. Even if you feel that your site is likely to encounter an issue with one of the parameters listed above, these can usually be resolved with careful planning and project management.
