Viking Cold Solutions Announces Launch of Xcel Energy’s Custom Thermal Storage Incentive Program

Viking Cold Solutions, the leading thermal energy storage technology provider for the low-temperature cold storage and frozen food industries, announces the inclusion of its award-winning energy storage technology in Xcel Energy’s new Custom Thermal Storage Incentive Program, part of their Custom Efficiency programs in Colorado and Minnesota. As an industry leader in delivering clean energy solutions, Xcel Energy is currently offering significant funding for energy-saving technology upgrades, such as Viking Cold’s Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems, which safely reduce demand and add temperature resiliency and efficiency to low-temperature facilities with large energy needs.

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Siemens supports the energy transition on the Azores | Press | Company | Siemens

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Large-scale battery systems in Australia met or exceeded expectations over 12 months of operation

Reports into the performance of two large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Australian state of Victoria have been published, showing that both performed as expected, or better, in 12 months of operation. The Gannawarra Energy Storage System (25MW/50MWh), saw a 50MWac solar farm retrofitted with a battery storage system, while the Ballarat Battery Energy Storage System (30MW/30MWh) was the first standalone battery-based energy storage system to be connected directly to the transmission network in front-of-the-meter (FTM).

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Statement from ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman on FERC Order 2222 Opening Wholesale Market Participation to DER Aggregations

“Today is another landmark day for competition and innovation in the power sector. FERC’s Order 2222 removes regulatory barriers to aggregation of distributed resources in wholesale electricity markets, and is the next step forward for energy storage and other distributed energy resources. Energy storage is increasingly located on local electric grids, in households and businesses, and is often integrated with distributed generation and controllable loads. Enabling these flexible resources to participate together as ‘virtual power plants’ in wholesale markets is a victory for enhancing grid reliability, enabling a more resilient grid, and lowering costs for consumers.”

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ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman Commends PJM Stakeholders for Approving Critical Reforms to the Capacity Valuation of Energy Storage

“Today, yet another regulatory barrier to energy storage deployment was removed. Following directives from FERC to re-examine how the value of storage is determined in PJM’s capacity market, PJM stakeholders approved updates to rules determining the contribution of storage to electric system reliability. Once the rules approved today are implemented faithfully, storage will finally get equitable consideration alongside other resources in the mid-Atlantic to provide resource adequacy. Since commissioning our own analysis on the capacity value of storage in PJM, ESA has been advocating for the outcome realized today, and have appreciated FERC’s decision to review this matter. Ultimate adoption of this framework provides energy storage operators the fair value and predictability they need to enter PJM’s capacity markets, competing with other solutions to provide reliability, lower costs to consumers, and pave the way for a more diverse supply mix.”

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New rival to power plants: chains of electric vehicles selling into the grid

Rooftop solar generators, electric vehicle batteries and other small energy resources will be allowed to supply wholesale power markets in the US, in a challenge to top-down delivery systems controlled by electric utilities. 

New rules approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday put these dispersed energy resources in competition with big power plants — potentially hastening investment in solar and storage projects installed at homes and in businesses. 

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'Game-Changer' FERC Order Opens Up Wholesale Grid Markets to Distributed Energy Resources

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has passed a long-awaited order to open up the country’s wholesale energy markets to distributed energy resources (DERs) like rooftop solar, behind-the-meter batteries and electric vehicles. Now comes the hard part: creating market rules that allow these DERs to play in bulk energy markets while retaining the role of state regulators and utilities to maintain the soundness of their distribution grid operations and retail DER programs. Order 2222, passed by a 2-1 vote Thursday during FERC’s open meeting in Washington, D.C., is the culmination of years of work on how to allow DER aggregations to compete in the energy, capacity and ancillary services markets operated by the regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) that manage the transmission grids carrying electricity to about two-thirds of the country. 

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FERC adopts big utilities’ narrative in PURPA ruling

According to Jason Burwen, vice president of policy at the Energy Storage Association (ESA), the switch from using net output to using aggregate capacity for QF eligibility limits certain solar plus storage configurations. As a result, some solar plus storage configurations might trend smaller or reduce the use of storage, if they seek QF status.

“This is not an optimal outcome for the grid,” Burwen added. “We should be encouraging more storage, not less, and taking advantage of available interconnection capacity.”

That said, the ESA does not see this order as significantly slowing the installation of solar plus storage. “Not only is solar plus storage still eligible for QF status at smaller project sizes, but more solar plus storage is being installed without seeking QF eligibility. Since standalone storage has grown and been deployed profitably without securing QF status to date, we see this mostly as a lost opportunity for additional growth,” Burwen said.

For its part, the Energy Storage Association plans to work with FERC to achieve clarity on the eligibility of storage as a QF, including when paired with solar.

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Load Profiles: How different storage systems, microgrid controllers fit specific C&I sites

Several case studies of storage installations supporting a variety of C&I solar+storage sites. Includes information on load profiles, goals of projects, and the specific solution each site chose. An example of a profile is below:

Site: Church

Load profile: This church in Bakersfield, Calif., is actually multiple facilities. It has two sanctuaries, a gymnasium, offices and classrooms. While certain small areas are occupied intermittently during the week, the primary activities are one Sunday service and an evening service each week. During these services, load is far higher than the rest of the week. Plus, the evening service starts just before sunset — so solar offsets almost none of the peak demand for the week. The facility had an electricity bill of around $40,000 per year — half on an energy charge, half on demand. The 100-kW solar system was sufficient to address the customer’s entire annual energy usage but did essentially nothing to address demand.

Goal: Boost the value (and reduce the payback time) of a solar array with Extensible Energy’s DemandEx load flexibility software by reducing demand charges and shifting energy out of expensive time of use (TOU) periods.

Solution: Software

• 100-kW PV array
• 16 controllable HVAC package units
• Wireless thermostats
• DemandEx Gateway from Extensible Energy

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Batteries begin storing wind and solar energy for the Texas grid

Conventional wisdom maintains that wind and solar power depend on affordable energy storage, and until battery prices drop, the United States will rely on natural gas and coal-fired power plants. A few years ago, most analysts thought it would take decades, but the clean energy future is much closer than most people think. 

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