Energy Storage

Batteries for Grid Scale Applications Must Last Decades and Deliver Long Duration Energy Discharge On-Demand

Multiple hours of battery power are required to bridge power outages and are a critical component of commercial/industrial microgrids and utility grids alike.

Regulatory agencies around the world recognize the growing need for storage systems with longer duration. The California Public Utility Commission wrote in a recent staff report that “more hours of peak shifting capability would be more effective in removing generated energy from the grid at peak supply times and injecting it into the grid at peak demand times.” In lockstep, planned updates to California’s Self Generation Incentive Program encourage five and six-hour battery systems by rewarding additional discharge hours with additional incentive dollars.

Utilities can use long duration batteries instead of fossil-based systems to satisfy peak power needs, defer costly system upgrades, and shift mid-day oversupply of renewable photovoltaic generation to evening peak periods. Modular battery systems, like EnergyPod 2, offer compelling economics compared to distribution substation upgrades, especially in crowded urban areas.