We’ve helped our London-based recycling centre clients make the most of their existing solar panel installation with new battery storage.
The installation included two 240mm steel wire armoured cables. These feed the 800A supply to the batteries.
We also installed a 200A supply to a secondary battery storage installation on the same site. This sits outside the main installation, across a walkway. We installed Unistrut tray-work and a ladder to hold the cables in place from the low voltage panel in the main plant room to the new installation.
Metering equipment measures the electricity generated and stored in the batteries.
Does your business need a battery energy storage system?
In June the government published a briefing document about battery energy storage systems (BESSs). There’s quite a lot to think about.
BESSs store electricity to use when it’s needed so they can help you make the most of renewable energy sources. Because renewable wind and solar power relies on the weather the amount of energy generated is inconsistent. Storing unused renewable energy to use later allows you to manage your energy requirements. It also reduces your business’s reliance on the grid and helps reduce energy costs.
Energy storage is also important to help meet the country’s ‘net zero’ carbon emission targets by 2030. The government expects we’ll need 27GW of battery storage by the target date.
Are BESSs safe?
There are very few examples of issues with lithium-ion batteries in BESSs. However, if the batteries are damaged, there’s a problem called ‘thermal runaway’. As a result, BESS design has become much more fire resistant. Product and fire safety requirements and health & safety regulations all cover these units. There’s also ongoing work to improve the safety requirements.
Is it easy to install battery storage?
It’s not always straight forward to install battery storage for your business. The UK lacks major battery manufacturers, so we need to rely on other countries for materials and products.
That’s just one reason why costs remain significant, so it’s important to look at your overall return on investment. The government says it has a battery strategy to create a competitive supply chain by 2030.
Delays to grid connections also represent a challenge you will need to consider as part of your plans.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more about battery storage solutions for your business.
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