What is battery energy storage system (BESS)?

The sharp and continuous deployment of intermittent Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and especially of Photovoltaics (PVs) poses serious challenges on modern power systems. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are seen as a promising technology to tackle the arising technical bottlenecks, gathering significant attention in recent years.

How can energy storage transform a building?

Such a transition is expected to be achieved with the use of Energy Storage, which is able to transform the buildings into more predictable power sources and, therefore, ensure the security and stability of the power system by minimising uncontrollable excess PV production injection.

What are the characteristics of a battery?

Each battery has different characteristics regarding its size, energy density, lifecycle and cost, among other important parameters . As for their integration with RE systems, batteries have to be rechargeable (i.e. secondary) in order to be capable for repeated usage.

What happens if a power grid does not have energy storage?

In the absence of Energy Storage, the amount of power generation in a conventional power grid must be drastically scaled up or down (dependent on the occasion) to meet demand, resulting in all of the negative issues associated with the inefficient use of power units.

What is energy storage?

Energy Storage is a DER that covers a wide range of energy resources such as kinetic/mechanical energy (pumped hydro, flywheels, compressed air, etc.), electrochemical energy (batteries, supercapacitors, etc.), and thermal energy (heating or cooling), among other technologies still in development .

Why is energy storage important?

It was highlighted that Energy Storage is important to handle fluctuations incurred by RE production, power and voltage smoothing, as well as for energy management, frequency regulation, peak shaving, load levelling, seasonal storage, and standby generation during faults.