In connection with the development of solar energy in recent years, the topic of battery storage systems has become increasingly in demand. Their importance and benefits are further highlighted by the recent adoption of the Law on Storage and Flexibility, which puts battery systems on an equal footing with other energy production and storage sources. In general, they are used for storing energy. However, there are various scenarios for storing and subsequently releasing energy, and each of them requires a slightly different configuration of the battery storage system, software, and setup. Electricity storage A common use of battery storage systems is to store electricity from photovoltaic power plants at times when they generate electricity from the sun. When consumption is minimal, the sun is shining, and PV systems are producing power, there is an excess of electricity on the market, and its price is very low. At that moment, it’s not worth sending the surplus into the grid; instead, it’s more advantageous to store this energy in a battery and use it later.
There are even scenarios where PV production and consumption align in timing. Even so, it is sometimes beneficial to store the electricity produced for later and cover the current consumption from the grid. This typically happens during periods of high PV production when market prices are very low, sometimes even negative.
Spotting Because electricity prices on the daily (spot) market vary throughout the day, batteries allow you to engage in so-called spot trading, i.e., trading on the spot market. This mechanism uses a battery to store energy directly from the grid when electricity is cheap and to release it when electricity on the market is expensive. This trend typically occurs twice a day and tends to be more pronounced in the summer due to the performance of solar sources. This year, we even recorded the highest number of days when electricity on the spot market had negative prices, meaning that those who could store it at that time were paid for doing so.
Network stabilization Battery storage systems can also act as stabilizers for the grid. Essentially, this means that battery owners provide their battery capacity to the electricity distributor so that surplus energy can be stored in the batteries and later supplied back to the grid during shortages. This service is paid, allowing the battery to generate income without being connected to another energy source.
Peak Shaving Battery storage systems also serve industrial enterprises to cover short-term increases in electricity consumption – significant peaks. Peak Shaving, or covering these peaks, is another function of battery storage systems. They allow for balancing these peaks and thereby reducing the value of the maximum reserved power input, for which distributors charge substantial amounts. In relation to industrial production, batteries are also used to ensure the operation of specific technologies during network outages.
Electromobility With the ever-growing interest in electric-powered vehicles, the load on the distribution network is increasing due to the need for charging them. It's not just about the distribution network as a whole. In some areas, there is only a limited power supply available, which, for instance, may become insufficient if several electric vehicles are connected at the same time. In the best case, cars will charge too slowly; in the worst, it won’t be possible to charge them at all. However, a battery can be charged with a low current throughout the day and then release the stored energy within tens of minutes.
Replacement of diesel generators Battery storage systems can also serve as a replacement for noisy and non-eco-friendly diesel generators. Apart from the sound of the cooling fan, battery storage is completely silent. Additionally, charging a mobile battery is eco-friendly, as it can be powered, for example, by a photovoltaic power plant, wind turbine, and similar sources.
For the proper functioning of a battery storage system, it’s not just the correct configuration of batteries, inverters, and transformers and their integration into the building’s electrical installation that’s crucial, but also the control of the entire system. This is where the intelligent management system comes in. It learns how to predict your needs or electricity price trends on the daily market and then controls the entire system, taking into account the day of the week, season, or weather forecast. The intelligent management system can save up to 15% on energy costs.