What is Battery Storage?

Battery storage units are now readily available to the UK market and will play a big part in combating fuel poverty in the years to come. They are used to store solar generated power throughout the day and will discharge when the demand for the property’s electricity is required, perhaps after when the sun goes down and additional lighting is required.

We produce lithium-ion batteries that can store energy generated by other renewable sources like wind and water. However, solar PV systems (photovoltaic) are more feasible in urban and suburban locations and therefore go hand-in-hand with battery storage units.

These systems can also source and store power from the electric grid.

Unlike ordinary batteries, battery storage units are more advanced in that they can function like a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and perform load shifting (charging using solar power and discharging energy during the more expensive hours) and peak shaving (charging at non-peak hours and discharging energy when the demand from the grid is at its peak).

A Must for Electric Vehicle Owners

Batteries are also becoming popular with installations where EV (electric vehicle) Charging points are present. Battery storage units can supplement electricity from the grid. EVs are celebrated for their low carbon emissions, but their sustainability can be diminished if they are powered by non-renewable energy.

Energy storage systems by Ecolution can maximise their potential. Rather than tapping into the electric grid each time you need a charge, you can utilise the stored renewable energy that solar panels generate  throughout the day and discharge the electricity to your electric vehicles in the evenings and overnight.

Complementary systems are more convenient when offered together, and that’s what Ecolution can give you. Rather than set-up a solar PV system piecemeal, you can have one customised according to your needs and the structural limitations in your property. Contact us to enquire.

Why install Battery Storage?

A subset of a broader energy storage system (ESS), battery storage units offer plenty of benefits to both residents and businesses.

• Green energy - Lithium-ion solar batteries connected to solar PV systems have a small footprint. It is sustainable and uses a renewable source (sunlight).

• Flexible and adaptable - Unlike compressed-air energy storage (CAES) or pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) that may only be installed near massive energy generation infrastructures, solar batteries can be installed wherever solar PV systems are, which can be in the middle of the city, the outskirts, a vast field, or a building rooftop. Hence, it is ideal as a home energy source or backup for businesses.

• Economical - These batteries have the ability to draw grid power during hours when the tariff is at its lowest (On an hourly variable rate) and then be used in the property when required (i.e., during a power outage) or during times when the tariff is at its highest.

• Convenient back-up power source - As with Solar PV any additional demand for electricity that cannot be supplied by the battery will be drawn from the national grid. However, a correctly sized battery unit should ensure that all power required can be supplied for the unit.

• Long-lasting - The average lifetime of solar batteries is from five to 15 years, and each full charge from a 60 MW lithium-ion battery can last about four hours. The bigger the wattage, the longer the service time.       

Battery storage is an ideal addition to any solar system installed within a communal block. They should be considered with any retrofitting scheme where either communal electricity bills or tenants electricity bills are above the national average.

Ecolution have been working with Tesla, Hycube, Moixa and other leading European and Worldwide manufactures to help develop batteries suitably priced for the UK social housing market. Our technical team have a wealth of knowledge enabling us to advise and specify correctly sized units for forthcoming projects, to provide maximum benefit for our clients for the years to come.

Energy Savings for Businesses

Energy storage has the ability to help transform a business’s energy spend by generating savings from changing what they consume from the grid to avoid the high costs associated with peak time.

The systems can generate revenue from helping to balance the grid, store electricity, and provide instantaneous backup energy for critical processes to improve power quality and protect against power cuts, and remove these impacts on business processes. Also for businesses who already have on-site generation, it will allow you to utilise more of your own generation and use less energy from the grid.

Not only that but it gives businesses more control over their energy use, allowing you to cut costs on-site and generate revenues. However, as the energy landscape changes businesses with energy storage on their site will have an asset that is extremely flexible to take advantage of new income opportunities or change when they consume energy.

Why Maintain Battery Storage?

It is important to monitor and maintain your energy storage system to ensure it is not only operating at optimum levels but also ensure no issues occur. As energy storage systems can store high volumes of electricity within lithium-ion batteries, it is important to ensure these are operating safely and reliably as a simple issue could quite quickly turn into a bigger problem.

Maintenance Optimizes Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Most systems already have a built-in safety mechanism in the event of a system issue, however, it is still important to have these regularly monitored and serviced as no matter how well you may look after your system unexpected issues can still arise. Moreover, lack of proper maintenance of the battery management systems (BMS) can result in a shorter life cycle for the battery storage units. They can also negatively affect the entire system’s performance, which is bad news for businesses that suffer huge losses from power interruptions.

Maintenance is also important as most battery storage manufacturers’ warranties are only upheld if you can prove that you regularly maintain your energy storage system.

Maintenance Prevents BMS Failure

More than ensuring that you have a stable power source, proper maintenance is crucial for safety in your home or business.

Lithium batteries are resilient and typically low-maintenance, but their installation and storage must meet specifications. More importantly, the BMS should always be responsive. If things go wrong in any of these, there could be problems with the power distribution or load management of your home battery or commercial energy storage system. 

Get the Most Out of Battery Storage through Maintenance

As society moves toward more sustainable electrical power sources you must learn how to harness them so that, with things like electric vehicles becoming even more popular, you’re not forced to source your increasing electricity needs from a non-renewable, non-sustainable, and inefficient energy supplier.

Finally, through regular monitoring and maintenance of battery storage systems, energy advisors to business entities can track growing electricity demands and advise on upgrades helping customers to maximise their savings.