Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., a leader in the development and construction of wind and solar projects in North America, is pleased to announce the operation of the company’s first energy storage system.
RES Americas conceived, developed, and constructed the energy storage system, which it will own and operate. Located in Sunbury, Ohio, just outside of Columbus, the system is comprised of a +/-4MW (8MW total range)/ 2.6MWh lithium battery that will provide a service called “frequency regulation” to PJM, the largest grid operator in North America.
The project utilizes lithium iron phosphate, an inherently safe variant of lithium battery chemistry, and consists of two containers that house batteries weighing approximately 20 tons each, as well as a third container that converts the direct current (DC) output to alternating current (AC) for the grid. The equipment was supplied by BYD America.
“Leveraging our renewable energy, transmission, and distribution construction experience, we are uniquely placed to excel in energy storage, whether as an IPP, or as an EPC for a utility owner. We are excited to be one of the leaders using this new technology, ensuring that RES continues to be innovative and create value for our customers,” said Andy Oliver, senior vice president, Energy Storage and Technology, RES Americas. “We look forward to additional projects that combine affordability, safety, and best-in-class quality,” Dr. Oliver continued.
The global market for energy storage is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Navigant Research estimates that worldwide revenue from advanced batteries for utility scale energy storage applications will grow from $164 million in 2014 to more than $2.5 billion in 2023. Frequency regulation represents a small fraction of the numerous services that energy storage can provide to the grid.
RES Americas anticipates delivering the company’s second 4MW system in June 2014 in Ontario, Canada for the grid operator IESO. The company is currently marketing additional fully-developed frequency regulation projects in PJM.
