Battery Energy Management

A BESS, coupled with an Energy Management System, helps customers achieve economic, resilience and sustainability goals. 

How a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Works

A BESS stores energy in battery cells for later use. It plays a key role in managing energy consumption, especially for facilities that generate their own power through renewable sources like solar panels. The stored energy can be used when energy demand is high, grid power is expensive, or during outages.

Note that a BESS is not the same as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).  The BESS is more like a generator attached to the local network, than a UPS. While the BESS can ramp up quickly, it is not instant and there will be a brief voltage supply disruption during startup.

The BESS can be charged by any local DERs connected to the network, or from the grid when energy costs are low (typically at night). 

Because the BESS is integrated into the electrical network it can be used to power any loads in the facility.

BESS Energy Management with EnergyX®

EnergyX® monitors, controls, and optimizes energy usage across a facility’s electrical network. 

Since a BESS is part of the electrical network, it must be coordinated with other equipment to optimize energy flow. 

This coordination is managed by EnergyX®, acting as the Energy Management System (EMS).

BESS Energy Management unlocks business outcomes

Spotlight on Renewable Energy Optimization

The BESS and EMS work in tandem to optimize energy usage by storing, managing, and distributing renewable energy efficiently.  For example, imagine a mid-sized manufacturing facility with a BESS installed alongside a solar installation. The EMS, connected to the BESS & solar, allows the facility to store excess solar energy generated during peak daylight hours and utilize it during evening production shifts, reducing grid reliance and saving thousands of dollars annually on energy costs. Additionally, the system provides backup power during outages, ensuring uninterrupted operations and further enhancing the facility’s energy resilience.

Spotlight on Energy Market Arbitrage

Participation in energy markets open up new revenue streams. Consider a retail mall with rooftop & carport solar installations and a BESS, leveraging its energy assets to participate in the energy arbitrage market. By using the BESS to store surplus solar energy during low-demand hours, the mall sells stored energy back to the grid during peak pricing periods. The mall earns thousands of dollars in additional revenue while also reducing its electricity costs by shifting its own energy consumption to cheaper, off-peak periods. The dual strategy of energy cost reduction and market participation not only improves the mall’s profitability but also enhances its sustainability profile, attracting environmentally conscious tenants and customers.

Spotlight on Grid Supply Constraints

 To understand better how a BESS can support grid supply constraints, consider the example of a fleet of EV chargers at a business. If all EV chargers are charging at the same time, the grid power service to the facility may be overloaded triggering a penalty charge from the utility or a potential remote disconnection from the grid. This means the facility risks either a significant financial charge, an outage or disappointed customers who expect to be able charge their vehicles. With a BESS and Energy Management system, the mall can charge the BESS at off-peak hours (nightime) and then use it during peak hours to power the EV chargers without exceeding the grid supply constraint.

Solutions

EnergyX® Portable Meter

  • Rent or buy an EnergyX® Portable meter with a complimentary power quality analysis report

  • We’ll analyse and interpret the data and provide you with a report that outlines all issues detected, their root cause and recommendations to fix them.

    One free analysis is included with your EnergyX® Portable purchase or rental

  • ION Power meters are the most accurate & intelligent power meters available, measuring thousands of power quality and energy variables and transmitting them to the software system.

  • For non-critical loads or circuits, we supply basic meters that provide all the necessary measurements to support energy and electrification management

Electrical Metering

EnergyX® Platform

  • The EnergyX® cloud platform contains all energy management & electrification applications in a single portal, supporting multiple sites, users, languages and timezones.

  • EnergyX® Edge Kits provide onsite monitoring & control and a secure connection to the EnergyX® cloud platform.