Energy plants of whatever kind are just like people, they have a finite lifetime and eventually are decommissioned. California’s Southern California Edison (SCE) typically awards contracts, called Power Purchase Agreements, to energy suppliers, often for long periods of time, say 20 years. These contracts are necessary as a matter of business but also to meet California Utility Commission’s minimum energy requirements.
Renewable Energy Stored In Batteries
A new type of energy supply is now coming online and its called an “energy storage project.” This new source of energy comes from alternative energy sources such as wind and solar and is stored in batteries.
SCE has just awarded a contract to AES Southland to provide 100MW of interconnected battery based energy storage, equivalent to a 200MW of flexible energy storage. SCE is already one of the nation’s leaders in renewable energy and is the primary electric supplier for Southern California.
What Is Grid-Connected Energy Storage?
Grid connected batteries both discharge or supply energy and absorb energy or charge from the electric grid. This allows utilities to be more resilient, responsive and flexible in the face of natural events and outages. These batteries also help manage the flow of electricity as more and more renewable energy is added to the grid. This type of energy storage allows utilities to minimize critical peaks by managing fluctuations in the daily demand cycle.
The following video explains “vanadium redox batteries”, the second generation of this type of technology for renewables that doubles the energy density and increase the temperature range at which the batteries can operate.
Related articles on IndustryTap:
- China’s Grid-Scale Energy Storage Investments Reach $500 Million Per Year
- Thermal Energy Collection Lights Up the Night Through Solar Power
- US Supports Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Energy Efficiency with $4 Billion in Loan Guarantees
- Are Renewable Energy Projects Even Worth It?
- Britain Unveils £85 Million Grants For Energy Efficiency
- Bloomberg Announces 2013 New Energy Pioneers From Around The World
- Self-Charging Power Cell Converts and Stores Energy in a Single Unit
- How a Data-Driven Approach Will Improve Urban Design and Livability
- Top 10 Major Wind Power Markets in the World
- Nanoropes of Carbyne Stronger Than Graphene and Diamonds
References and related links:
- Southern California Edison | The Green Energy Blog
- Solar Photovoltaic -Energy Storage News
- AES to Help SCE Meet Local Power Reliability with 20-Year Power Purchase Agreement for Energy Storage in California; New Facility Will Provide 100 MW of Interconnected Storage, Equivalent to 200 MW of Flexible Resource
