Storage Industry Pleased, Solar Not So Much By Massachusetts’ Latest Renewables Bills

on August 3, 2018

Energy-Storage-NewsIn response to Massachusetts Legislature passing a bill raising the state’s renewable energy standard and another encouraging clean energy and energy storage use during peak hours, solar and energy storage trade groups SEIA and ESA offered contrasting views.

Bill H4857, ‘An act to advance clean energy’, determines a new ‘Clean Peak Standard’ through which the impacts of peak demand and especially the use of fossil fuels to meet that demand would be encouraged, as well as a revision to the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) which would see the RPS raised by 2% each year through to 2029. Under that set of conditions, the RPS could be close to 50% by 2030, from 13% today.

The legislation determines energy storage systems to be among qualifying RPS ‘clean peak resources’ to reduce peak demand along with demand side response. Such resources were defined as those that: “generate, dispatch or discharge electricity to the electric distribution system during seasonal peak periods, or alternatively, reduces load on said system” in the bill. Energy storage systems must be primarily operated to store and discharge renewable energy.

Retail electricity suppliers will have to provide a minimum percentage of clean peak electricity to customers, electric distribution companies will have to start producing maps of congested and constrained areas and demonstrate how they are building resilience and flexibility into their networks. Distribution companies have also been permitted to explore ‘non-wires alternatives’ (NWAs) to infrastructure upgrades, for which energy storage is increasingly being looked at as one of those viable NWAs. Competitive solicitations must be held in these instances. By mid-February 2019, distribution companies will also have to report to the department of energy resources detailing the energy storage systems installed in their service territories.

Perhaps most strikingly, the bill includes a 1,000MW energy storage target for the state. The state’s department of energy resources has been instructed to consider a variety of methods to foster this, which could include changing the methods by which energy storage systems are procured that would value their benefits more accurately than incumbent methods. The target should be reached by 31 December 2025.

SEIA’s measured reaction

According to the national trade group Solar Energy Industries’ Association (SEIA), Massachusetts currently meets around 8.6% of its electricity needs with solar. It is also the second biggest employer of workers in the solar PV industry among US states.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsStorage Industry Pleased, Solar Not So Much By Massachusetts’ Latest Renewables Bills

From Kansas Ranch to Air Adventure, New Mobile Microgrid Makes the Rounds

on August 3, 2018

Surveying the market for a mobile microgrid system for the company ranch, Faith Technologies couldn’t find an off-the-shelf solution that met its requirements. So the company built one.

CEO Mike Jansen began contemplating the idea because the grid serving the company’s 1,000-acre western Kansas ranch isn’t reliable. Plus Faith Technologies is no stranger to microgrids. The planning, engineering, design and installation firm recently partnered with Schneider Electricon an advanced, stationary microgrid at the Bubolz Nature Center in Wisconsin.

Now, Faith intends to install its mobile microgrid, which consists of consists of a 9-kW solar PV array; an intelligent, 144-kWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system and a 10-kW, methanol reformer-based, Altergy hydrogen fuel cell, at the company ranch, which, in addition to promoting sustainable ranching and farming, is used for team building, retreats and similar activities. Industrial Ethernet switches from Westermo provide mobile microgrid controls and remote connectivity. The entire system is housed in a 20 by eight-foot container that can be transported via flatbed trucks.

Fortuitous debut

Development of the mobile microgrid opens up a new business development path for the company. And fortunately, Faith Technologies was able to unveil it to a large audience — the more than 600,000 people who attended last week’s EAA AirVenture, an annual aviation celebration in Osh Kosh, Wisconsin.

The opportunity came about because Faith Technologies served as the main electrical contractor for the air show and exhibition.

“We wanted to show off what the mobile microgrid could do. This, along with the fact that AirVenture is a place where innovative companies display new technologies on a global platform made it the perfect place to debut the new technology,” said Pat McGettigan, vice president of pre-construction.

From its booth at the air show, Faith Technologies charged several planes and an octocopter. “That made the lives of the pilots a little easier, but it also helped us showcase this new technology at an event that attracts people from across the globe,” McGettigan said.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsFrom Kansas Ranch to Air Adventure, New Mobile Microgrid Makes the Rounds

Energy Storage Market in China 2018-2022 | Key Facts and Figures | Technavio

on August 2, 2018

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The energy storage market in China is expected to post a CAGR of close to 40% during the period 2018-2022, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. However, the growth momentum of the market is expected to decelerate due to a decline in the year-over-year growth.

A key factor driving the growth of the market is the energy revolution. China is one of the largest economies in the world. It is experiencing high economic growth due to which the power needs of the country have grown exponentially. The country is undergoing an energy revolution, where millions of dollars are being invested to increase the share of renewable energy in meeting its growing energy needs. China has become the largest wind and solar energy producer in the world due to the aggressive renewable energy targets.

This market research report on the energy storage market in China 2018-2022 also provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook during the forecast period. Technavio classifies an emerging trend as a major factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

In this report, Technavio highlights the decline in Li-ion battery price as one of the key emerging trends in the energy storage market in China:

Energy storage market in China: Decline in Li-ion battery price

The market for Li-ion batteries has been gaining traction and is witnessing rapid growth. This led to a decline in the demand for lead-acid batteries. The main factor that differentiates Li-ion batteries from lead-acid batteries is their price. Li-ion batteries cost more than lead-acid batteries. However, leading manufacturers of Li-ion batteries are working on technological advances and are trying to reduce the price of Li-ion batteries.

“The prices of Li-ion batteries are expected to reduce further during the forecast period. Also, companies are developing Li-ion batteries by keeping specific industrial and utility applications in mind. The declining prices of Li-ion battery will have a favorable impact on the market, increasing its utilization in the energy storage applications,” says a senior analyst at Technavio for research on human machine interface.

Energy storage market in China: Segmentation analysis

This market research report segments the energy storage market in China by application (behind the meter and grid integration).

Behind the meter segment held the largest market share in 2017, accounting for nearly 54% of the market. This application segment is expected to dominate the global market throughout the forecast period.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsEnergy Storage Market in China 2018-2022 | Key Facts and Figures | Technavio

The Global Race to Build the World’s Biggest Battery

on August 2, 2018

Greentech-MediaElon Musk sparked a competition for the world’s biggest battery.

Ever since Tesla completed the 129-megawatt-hour Hornsdale Power Reserve battery plant after Musk’s high-profile Twitter bet, others have been looking to beat it.

This summer, for instance, saw two “world’s biggest battery” announcements coming out within days of each other. Given different commissioning dates, both might actually claim the prize for a while. But which country will ultimately end up with the biggest battery?

Here is a rundown of the top contenders, based on announcements made to date.

South Korea

LS Industrial Systems (LSIS) and Macquarie Capital Korea have won the contract to build and operate a 175-megawatt-hour battery storage system across five sites owned by SeAH, a steel conglomerate, LSIS announced in July.

LSIS did not give a commissioning date for the energy storage project but said it would be used to save cheap nighttime electricity for use in the daytime, creating savings of around KRW 130 billion (USD $116 million) over 15 years.

United Kingdom

The U.K. bagged a new national record for battery size in July with the opening of Stocking Pelham, a 50-megawatt-hour facility containing 150,000 lithium-ion cells.

However, the SMA Sunbelt Energy-owned installation could be dwarfed if plans for a 350-megawatt-hour battery system move forward in Graveney, near Kent in southeast England.

The battery is due to serve a 300-megawatt solar plant proposed by Hive Energy and Wirsol Energy. But both projects face significant opposition from campaigners concerned about their impact on nearby marshland ecosystems.

Australia

Despite worries that Hornsdale may have killed the business case for other big batteries in the market, Australia seems keen to stay at the forefront of massive battery development.

In March, GTM revealed that a British businessman, Sanjeev Gupta, plans to build a 120-megawatt, 140-megawatt-hour battery complex in the same region where Tesla completed its Hornsdale plant late last year.

And in May, Reuters reported that a consortium including JERA of Japan, Australian developer Lyon Group and battery provider Fluence was planning to develop a 400-megawatt-hour storage system in South Australia. Construction could begin “within months,” Reuters said.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsThe Global Race to Build the World’s Biggest Battery

US Trade & Development Agency Backs 41MW Wind-Solar-Storage Project in India

on August 2, 2018

Energy-Storage-NewsThe U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is supporting a 41MW hybrid solar-wind-storage project being developed by private Indian energy firm IL&FS Energy Development Company Limited (IEDCL) in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh by providing a grant to aid the plant’s technical design and planning.

The project stems from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between IEDCL and the government of Andhra Pradesh to develop a project of 1,040MW capacity in total.

IEDCL has selected Kansas-based engineering firm Black & Veatch to carry out the technical assistance.

USTDA has already provided support for technical and financial assessment of wind, solar, and energy storage hybrid projects in the Indian states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, which led to the MoU with Andhra Pradesh.

“Grid modernisation through hybrid projects like this one will help promote sustainable economic growth in India, and support the government’s goal of reaching 175GW of capacity from renewable sources by 2022,” said Jason Abiecunas, Black & Veatch’s director of Distributed Energy Resources. “Hybrid solutions, by optimising output and reducing variability, will also improve the bankability of renewable energy projects.”

Back in June, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) tendered for 2.5GW of hybrid wind and solar projects to be connected to the Interstate Transmission System (ISTS), the country’s main grid. This followed the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy releasing its ‘National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy’ in May, seeking to encourage hybridisation of projects due to the benefits they offer for grid integration. The policy notes that any form energy stroage technology can also be added to such projects.

Our sister site PV Tech attended the inauguration of India’s first utility-scale hybrid wind and solar project developed by Hero Future Energies earlier this year.

USTDA Tweet reveals Vietnam feasibility study

Earlier this week, USTDA’s official Twitter account also ‘announced’ that the agency is working to support renewable energy uptake and improve energy access in Vietnam, partnering with national electricity delivery body Vietnam Electricity to investigate the feasibility of energy storage system development in the country. No further details appear to have been issued although the Tweet (below) also tagged the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) and the private US Chamber of Commerce.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsUS Trade & Development Agency Backs 41MW Wind-Solar-Storage Project in India

Grid-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant Is Launched

on August 1, 2018

Power-MagazineThe world’s first grid-scale demonstration of a liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant was officially launched in June.

UK-based long-duration energy storage firm Highview Power developed the 5-MW/15-MWh project in partnership with recycling and renewable energy company Viridor with more than£8 million in funding from the UK government. The plant located at the Pilsworth landfill gas site in Bury, near Manchester, in the UK (Figure 4), works by using surplus power (during off-peak hours) to refrigerate air into a liquid at –196C (–320F).

The liquid air is then stored “very efficiently” in insulated tanks at low pressure. When power is required, liquid air is drawn from the tanks. Exposure to ambient temperatures causes rapid re-gasification and a 700-fold expansion in volume, which is then used to drive a turbine and create electricity without combustion. “Heat harnessed from the liquefaction process is applied to the liquid air via heat exchangers and an intermediate heat transfer fluid. This produces a high-pressure gas in the form of air that is then used to drive the turbine and create electricity,” Highview Power explained.

The company says the technology draws from established processes from the turbo-machinery, power generation and industrial gas sectors. Components used in the processes “can be readily sourced from large OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and have proven operating lifetimes and performances,” it said. The technology doesn’t depend on “exotic materials” like battery storage and is comprised mostly of steel, giving it a lifespan of between 30 and 40 years, in comparison with 10 years for batteries. At the end of its life, an LAES plant can be decommissioned, and the steel can be recycled. And because the system uses a thermodynamic cycle, it can interface with co-located thermal processes such as liquefied natural gas regasification plants, peaking plants, and industrial applications. “This means we can utilize waste heat and cold streams, improving the efficiency of our customers’ main processes by converting their waste thermal energy into a useful resource for our system,” it said.

According to Gareth Brett, Highview Power’s vice chairman (and CEO of the company for 10 years before Dr. Javier Cavada Camino took on that role on June 28), completion of the grid-scale plant is a major milestone in demonstration of “the only large scale, true long-duration, locatable energy storage technology available today, at acceptable cost.” The project was preceded by a 350-kW/2.5-MWh pilot installation at SSE’s biomass plant at Slough Heat and Power in Greater London. The pilot underwent full testing between 2011 and 2014, before it was relocated to the University of Birmingham Center for Cryogenic Energy Storage to support further testing and academic research.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsGrid-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant Is Launched

Energy Storage Systems Market is Expected to Exceed US$ 1 Billion By 2025

on August 1, 2018

Aug 01, 2018 (Heraldkeeper via COMTEX) — New York, August 01, 2018: The Global Energy Storage Systems Market is segmented on the basis of its Delivery Technology Type, Application Type And Regional Type. By Technology Type this market is segmented on the basis of Electro Chemical, Lithium-Ion battery, Lead Acid battery, Sodium Sulfur (NaS) battery, Flow battery, Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) & Nickel Metal Cadmium (NiCd), Mechanical, Pumped Hydro, Flywheel, Thermal Storage, Thermo Chemical, Latent

By Application Type this market is segmented on the basis of Transportation and Grid Storage. By Geographic Analysisthis market is segmented on the basis of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of World.

The global Energy Storage Systems Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 1 Billion by 2025 in the given forecast period.

The scope of the report includes a detailed study of Global Energy Storage Systems Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.

The key roles played by energy storage systems in power grids include time shifting to manage peak loads, providing power quality by aiding in frequency regulation, mitigating power congestion on grids, and supplying power uniformly in distributed generation. They are also used as a primary power source in electric vehicles.

Energy Storage Systems are equipment that can efficiently and conveniently store multiple varieties of energy which will be utilized as per requirement, as example Li-ion batteries.

Browse Full Report Here: https://www.marketresearchengine.com/energy-storage-systems-market

The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the Global market. Key players profiled in the report LG Chem, Ltd, ABB Ltd, GS Yuasa Corporation, Samsung SDI Co., Ltd, General Electric Company, SaftGroupe S.A, Tesla, Inc, Evapco, Inc, Calmac, Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc, BYD Company Limited, Hitachi, Ltd and Panasonic Corporation. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsEnergy Storage Systems Market is Expected to Exceed US$ 1 Billion By 2025

Energy Storage Could Take Off in Massachusetts With Proposed Compromise on Capacity Ownership

on August 1, 2018

Utility-DiveThe compromise in Massachusetts, should it be approved by the state’s Department of Public Utilities, would open the door for development of an energy storage market in Massachusetts by expanding the potential revenue streams available to owners of energy storage projects.

Last summer, Massachusetts set a 200 MWh by 2020 energy storage target. But aside from demonstration projects, there was little activity for commercial energy storage projects.

The state’s Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program is seen as the major vehicle for developing an energy storage market in the state, but it became embroiled in a debate about ownership of capacity rights that had its roots in the state’s net metering program.

The tension at the heart of the conflict was trying to reach agreement between providing incentives for developers of energy storage projects and allowing utilities access to capacity rights as a way to offset the costs of the net metering on ratepayers.

The compromise proposal allows the state’s utilities to retain the capacity rights for Class II and Class III net metered and SMART facilities, but also includes an option for developers of those projects to buy out the capacity rights from the utility. There is no buy-out option for standalone, non-residential solar projects not paired with storage.

Utilities would have two options when it comes to retaining the capacity rights. The first option would allow the utility to retain 20% of capacity revenues. In the second option, all capacity revenues would flow to ratepayers. The advantage of the first option is that it would flow more potential revenues to the utility. The advantage of the second option is it would potentially offset a higher level of net metering payments.

The proposed compromise was reached among the state’s utilities, clean energy companies, the Massachusetts ratepayer advocate and the state’s Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

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Fractal Energy Storage ConsultantsEnergy Storage Could Take Off in Massachusetts With Proposed Compromise on Capacity Ownership