The Battery Energy Storage System, or BESS, will be important to the energy transition and has wide applications, bringing huge impacts on the economy, society, and the environment. Historically, the invention of the battery dates back to the end of the 18th century when the great Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed a prototype of the battery between 1799 and 1800, and later on, the unit “volt” was derived based on his contribution. Nowadays, inheriting the mantle and carrying the torch in electricity history, a Battery Energy Storage System has become part and parcel of the current global energy setup.

How to define the Battery Energy Storage System

Battery Energy Storage System represents another step ahead that ensures steady power can be supplied without breakage if there is an unstable energy supply. For utilities, businesses, and households alike, it becomes very important to renew the strategy for solar systems. As long as solar power generation relies on the sun and cannot produce consistently, BESS will store energy from the sun during the day for consumption at night and provide a continuous power supply.

 

The main components of a Battery Energy Storage System include a battery block, inverter, transformer, and auxiliary system. The inverter transforms DC into AC with the same phase as the grid voltage; the transformer adjusts the system voltage to be consistent with the grid voltage; the auxiliary system mainly includes cooling and firefighting equipment for the safe and stable operation of the system.

How does one understand the workflow of the BESS?

The working principle of the Battery Energy Storage System is pretty simple: it gets fed with electricity from renewable energy sources such as the grid, power stations, or solar panels, stores it, and then releases it at the needed time and moment. When combined with software, BESS can apply AI, machine learning, and data-driven technologies to achieve intelligent energy consumption management. In such a context, BESS has become a key tool in combating climate change because it offers a flexible use of energy and helps users adapt to fluctuations in supply and demand.

 

Overall, it enhances the penetration of renewable energy applied to decrease the carbon footprint, enabling both companies and households to save money on costs. Battery  energy storage systems are a big form of energy storage  systems, which  are in opposition with other forms: gravity energy  systems, mechanical energy  systems, and thermal energy storage  systems.

Application Types of BESS

According to the installation location and function, battery energy storage systems can be mainly divided into two categories: behind the meter and in front of the meter. The behind-the-meter system, also called “small battery storage,” is usually used in a family or a commercial building and is relatively small in scale. Some BTM systems also have the function of feeding power back into the grid, which users can use, if allowed by local policy, to get extra benefits. BTM systems use efficient lithium-ion batteries, more traditional options such as lead-acid batteries, sodium-sulfur batteries, emerging technologies like flow batteries, and solid-state batteries to meet different users’ needs.

 

The energy storage system of a meter battery in front of the meter is larger in scale and directly connected to the grid; it is usually operated by utility companies. They are located in front of the user’s meter and on the same side as the grid meter, mainly providing support and services for the grid. FTM systems can help solve problems like network congestion and voltage fluctuations in grid operation. The pre-meter battery energy storage systems can also be used as an alternative for new transmission lines in order to reduce grid construction costs. Due to its direct connection to the grid, the pre-meter battery energy storage system has a high requirement for battery performance and usually uses large-capacity and long-life battery technology, meeting the requirements for grid-level applications.

Advantages of Battery Energy Storage Systems

Battery storage technology has a lot of advantages, making it indispensable in the energy system. First, it enhances the reliability of renewable energy, allowing intermittent energy such as solar and wind energy to be supplied stably around the clock without being affected by weather fluctuations. Second, battery storage systems can effectively resist grid fluctuations and ensure the stability of user energy supply.

 

Moreover, in the environment, a battery storage system has facilitated extensive utilization of renewable energy independently of fossil fuels, reducing the emission of pollutants and assisting energy transformation. It is also an active way to cope with global warming. Economically speaking, users can utilize an energy storage system to store energy at a low price and use it at a high price so as to achieve “peak shaving and valley filling”, which can reduce energy costs effectively. Combined with free energy, such as solar energy, these savings are even bigger.

 

Besides, users’ dependence on battery storage systems will reduce dependence on the power grid. In such cases when the power grid is unstable owing to surges in demand or extreme weather, the systems ensure that key equipment and facilities work normally. That also achieves “all-weather” supply whereby the releasing of stored electricity can satisfy users’ energy needs even when solar power generation is insufficient.

 

The battery storage systems would also come in handy during emergency situations, enabling users to continue their businesses with backup power and thus preventing losses that could be caused by power outages. In a nutshell, with the many advantages of battery storage technology, it is driving the transformation of the energy industry and providing strong support for the realization of sustainable development.

Main applications of battery energy storage systems

Power companies are natural users of BESS, especially if they have corresponding wind and solar power plants. Large BESS is normally constructed at strategic nodes of the transmission network or directly installed at power plants to optimize energy dispatch and stabilize grid operation.

 

However, bess clean energy application scenarios are much more than what was mentioned above, and their growth is highly related to the “prosumer” phenomenon. Small BESS can be utilized by prosumers, in other words, users who produce their own electricity, such as households with installed solar panels, to store excess solar power during the day for use at night. Besides this, it could provide emergency power in case of a power outage and would enable households to disconnect from the grid and operate independently temporarily.

 

Industrial and commercial enterprises can also benefit immensely from bess clean energy. Energy-intensive enterprises could use the Battery Energy Storage System for precise control of electricity consumption to cut down on purchases from the grid during high-electricity prices and avoid peak use of electricity; make a preparatory plan ahead to reduce the power consumption during a surge in demand, which ensures not only the stability in energy supply of the company but also contributes to load balancing of the gird while gaining some economic benefits on the side through participating in demand response projects.

 

Moreover, the Battery Energy Storage System represents one of the critical elements of microgrids-small-scale grids that enable the production and distribution of energy within limited areas, such as large factories, industrial parks, or residential areas. BESS allows microgrids to maintain energy storage and regulation functions that enable stable and efficient operations.

 

Battery Energy Storage System plays an important role in the distribution link of a smart grid. They are applied for emergency backup power in smart grids to enable prompt utilization of reserve power in case of any emergency, so that continuity and reliability can be ensured in the supply of power.

What is the life of a battery energy storage system?

Generally, a battery energy storage system has a service life of 5-15 years. To extend its service life, the following methods may be considered:

 

Improve temperature control: The temperature factor takes the lead among all factors influencing battery life. It should be considered in the development process of electric vehicle production, especially when making use of an effective cooling system to reduce the heat generated by a battery, effectively prolonging its life. The liquid cooling method can prolong battery life by approximately 20% while paying attention to regular coolant replacement and maintenance.

 

Improvement in battery materials and technology: High-performance and high-stability battery materials will be used to bring about a significant improvement in chemical stability and electrochemical performance. For example, nanotechnology is applied in surface treatment to improve electrode materials’ conductivity, hence prolonging the life of a battery.

 

Improve the BMS: BMS can monitor the status of batteries in real time, and reasonably control the charging/discharging process to prevent overcharging and over-discharging, thus prolonging the service life of the battery.

 

Reasonably design the charge–discharge cycle: try to reduce the number of charge- discharge cycles of the battery and avoid frequent deep charge-discharge, which can effectively prolong the cycle life of the battery.

 

In a nutshell, Battery Energy Storage System represents the linchpin of modern energy management. In the future, the demand for clean energy will continue to surge globally, thereby enabling BESS to continuously promote innovation and transformation in the energy sector while helping build a greener and smarter energy system in contribution to reaching goals of sustainable development.