Penn State says it is working to advance wind and solar energy through a program offering education and training for energy storage and microgrid systems.

The Energy Storage and Microgrid Training and Certification (ESAM-TAC) program is part of the GridSTAR Center, a smart grid education and research facility at Penn State at The Navy Yard, located in Philadelphia.

According to the university, the large-scale deployment of microgrids and energy storage will require a new approach to how electricity is generated and managed and will include the increased use of batteries and other forms of energy storage.

“A common criticism of renewable energy is that it varies with sun and wind conditions,” says David Riley, a professor of architectural engineering and the director of the GridSTAR Center and ESAM-TAC program. “The electric grid was not built to handle the variable energy created by wind and solar. Smart technologies and batteries can act like shock absorbers on the grid while also improving the economic performance of solar and wind farms.”

Another challenge facing the broad deployment of renewable energy is the lack of a workforce needed to make it happen, according to Penn State.

“The development of new technologies is important, but we have economically viable storage and renewable energy systems already,” Riley continues. “We also need to skill up if we are going design and build energy storage and microgrid systems. The ESAM-TAC program is helping us gain the capability to teach students, engineering professionals and electrical workers what they will need to know to make energy storage affordable and reliable.”

In the last year, five workshops have been conducted by ESAM-TAC partners in Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Los Angeles to help instructors prepare to teach electrical workers about safe and productive energy storage and microgrid construction. Penn State says these instructors will be among the first to implement the ESAM-TAC curriculum and certification program at their institutions.

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Northern Power Systems Corp., a Vermont-based provider of distributed energy power systems, is now offering a suite of megawatt-scale energy storage solutions that incorporate various battery types and capabilities, depending on the application and end-user need.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced that up to $6.3 million is now available for emerging energy storage technologies that have not yet been commercialized but could support renewable power sources in the state.

NYSREDA says the funding is part of the state’s long-term investment in the energy storage sector and supports Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) strategy to build a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.

Janet Joseph, acting president and CEO of NYSERDA, comments, “New York continues to lead the nation in finding innovative technologies to build a resilient and efficient electric grid. Energy storage will play a critical role in Governor Cuomo’s fight against climate change as we continue to add renewable energy resources throughout the state making our power cleaner.”

As the agency explains, energy storage can save power generated from clean energy systems such as solar, wind, and combined heat and power for later use, enabling buildings to reduce their reliance on the electric power grid during peak demand periods when electricity costs are highest. The ability to store energy also can make it possible for buildings and other critical facilities to continue to function in the event of disruptions on the power grid.

NYSERDA will accept concept papers during the first round of this solicitation through July 20. Papers should focus on advancing, developing and field testing of energy storage technologies that will address cost, performance and integration opportunities in New York. They should also identify how the technology will advance the state’s goal to have 50% of its electricity come from renewable resources by 2030. Through a competitive process, NYSERDA will request the best concept papers to submit follow-up proposals. The proposals selected will receive funding to move forward with their projects.

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San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed contracts for five new local battery storage facilities for a total of 83.5 MW.

According to the California utility, the four-hour energy storage facilities would be like having batteries from more than 5,500 all-electric, long-range vehicles at the ready. All five battery projects will be able to store supplies of solar, wind and other traditional sources and release it when energy is in high demand, the company adds.

In addition, SDG&E has signed a contract to add a 4.5 MW demand response program, and the company has submitted all six contracts to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval.

If approved, two of the five lithium-ion battery energy storage facilities will be owned and operated by SDG&E to enhance regional energy reliability while maximizing renewable energy use.

AES Energy Storage will construct a 40 MW storage facility, building on its successful 37.5 MW of deployments in Escondido and El Cajon, Calif. A 30 MW facility will be built in Miramar by Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. The other storage projects, totaling 13.5 MW, will be owned by third parties, including Powin Energy, Enel Green Power North America and Advanced Microgrid Solutions.

“These projects will add more flexibility to the system and help us to ensure reliability while providing greater levels of clean energy to all of our local communities,” says Emily Shults, SDG&E’s vice president of energy procurement. “By building these projects, SDG&E will remain at the forefront of helping the state achieve its bold clean-energy and carbon-emission targets.”

The CPUC has set targets for investor-owned utilities to procure large amounts of energy storage by 2020, including 165 MW by SDG&E. With these five new projects, SDG&E says it is on track to meet this goal. The new facilities are expected to come online between December 2019 and late 2021.

The utility notes that the proposed demand response program, to be run by OhmConnect, will also add flexibility to the system. Beginning in early 2018, OhmConnect will request industrial and commercial customers who have enrolled in the demand response program to reduce energy usage within 20 minutes of being called during certain days and hours. This process will be conducted by the California Independent System Operator and/or SDG&E as needed.

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Cleantech energy storage company Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) and the Southern California-based Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) have launched a water-energy project using advanced energy storage systems to better integrate renewable power, reduce demand on the electric grid and lower costs.

IEUA, a water supplier and wastewater facility, says it has installed 3.65 MW of energy storage projects at six regional water-recycling facilities and pump stations across its service area – helping meet the water demand of a thirsty SoCal and saving the agency 5%-10% on its energy costs each year.

Notably, the storage system will also help integrate IEUA’s renewable resources, which include 1 MW of wind, 3.5 MW of solar and 2.8 MW of biofuel cell generation.

According to IEUA, the first-of-their-kind systems have already been activiated.

“We remain proud of our investments in energy efficiency, renewable generation and sustainable water management practices,” said Terry Catlin, the agency’s board president. “Energy storage is the key to maximizing the value of those investments, allowing us to use our resources more efficiently, reduce costs for our customers and participate in building a more resilient electric grid for the whole region.”

“IEUA’s leadership when it comes to water management and renewable energy is recognized across the whole industry,” added Susan Kennedy, founder and CEO of AMS. “Displaying the foresight to tackle the water-energy nexus head on is further demonstration of that leadership on behalf of the agency, the industry and water customers all throughout its service territory.”

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Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., has signed into law four new bills that are expected to directly impact energy storage in California.

According to the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), the bills will collectively grow the behind-the-meter and utility-scale energy storage markets, create new clean energy jobs, reduce distributed energy resource interconnection challenges, and ensure that bulk energy storage is part of the states’s renewable energy future. The four pieces of legislation include the following:

• A.B.1637 increases the Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) funding by $249 million, which (CESA) says sends a clear market signal to industry stakeholders that behind-the-meter energy storage will play a key role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and supporting the next-generation electric grid. Thanks to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) recent SGIP reforms, 75% of the program budget going forward is now reserved for energy storage, adds CESA.

• A.B.2868 requires the CPUC to direct California’s three investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to accelerate the deployment of distributed energy storage by filing applications for new programs and investments of up to 500 MW. CESA says this bill directly increases the market for energy storage in California, as the 500 MW is in addition to the 1.325 GW procurement goal that California established in 2013.

• A.B.2861 authorizes the CPUC to create an objective, expedited dispute-resolution process for distributed, behind-the-meter energy resources attempting to establish an interconnection to an IOU’s electricity distribution network. CESA says this bill and resulting dispute resolution process will accelerate and reduce Rule 21 interconnection costs.

• A.B.33 directs the CPUC and California Energy Commission to evaluate and analyze the potential for all types of long-duration bulk energy storage, such as pumped hydro, to help integrate renewable generation into the grid. CESA says this bill ensures broader consideration of bulk energy storage’s unique capabilities and market roles.

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