Power grid infrastructure in many parts of the United States is aging and struggling to meet increased electricity demand. In some specific areas, like ports and industrial facilities, high-powered equipment cannot be fully deployed because the grid cannot meet the intense but sporadic load demands.
The options for these necessary upgrades range widely, but can include protection equipment upgrades, pole replacement, communication networks, new lines for distribution of electricity, voltage support and system capacity increases.
With their flexibility and innovative features, ABB’s state-of-the-art microgrids and battery energy storage systems (BESS), are providing utilities and industries with innovative alternatives.
In Baltimore, MD, in response to growth and increased demand for power, ABB is supplying a BESS to Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). The utility was forecasting an increase in peak demand that would cause equipment to exceed its thermal capacity.
BG&E had to evaluate the cost to perform a capacity upgrade of its substation equipment versus the costs of utilizing energy storage solution. ABB proposed a BESS solution that would be quick and cost-efficient to deploy.
The BESS, commissioned in March, is key for BGE, as it enables the utility to use electricity stored within the battery for the periods of this increased peak demand. The peak shaving made possible with the BESS gives the utility the power reliability needed through an alternative solution, one that is now being considered by more and more utilities across the continent.
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