Primus Power, a leader in grid-scale electrical energy storage, is partnering with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to deliver and support two 250 kW EnergyPods as part of a research and demonstration project under BPA’s Technology Innovation Program. BPA is funding roughly one-third of the total project with shared funding from Puget Sound Energy, the Energy Storage Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Primus. The consortium is studying the potential installation of grid-scale flow batteries in the electric distribution network of PSE.
Utility districts with a high percentage of wind power are seeking opportunities to enhance the integration of variable renewable resources, such as wind and solar. “BPA has been collaborating with others in the power industry to help integrate wind into our region and stretch the benefits of our hydro system,” said Terry Oliver, BPA’s chief technology innovation officer. “We’re looking for innovative solutions that can help us better integrate renewables and improve how we operate the Northwest power grid.”
Patrick Leslie, emerging technologies program manager at PSE, noted that “this project is an opportunity for us to understand the feasibility and cost-benefit of using grid scale battery arrays as well as to get our ‘hands dirty’, so to speak, with an installation.”
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will develop models of the storage systems to assess their energy and economic benefits and make recommendations on where they should be placed. After the systems are installed, the PNNL team will also help evaluate their actual performance.
Tom Stepien, CEO of Primus Power, comments, “The Primus team is very fortunate to work with an excellent group of partners on this pioneering effort. Together we will learn the real-world value of storage in the PSE system and demonstrate the differentiation of our energy storage solution.”
About Puget Sound Energy: Washington State’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves 1.1 million electric customers and more than 760,000 natural gas customers in 10 counties. PSE meets the energy needs of its customers, in part, through cost-effective energy efficiency, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service that is safe, dependable and efficient. For more information, visit www.PSE.com, or follow PSE on Facebook and Twitter.
About Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory address many of America’s most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. PNNL employs 4,500 staff, has an annual budget of nearly $1 billion, and has been managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by Ohio-based Battelle since the laboratory’s inception in 1965. For more information, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Source: Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2013. Eric Wesoff, Greentech Media, June 20, 2013. Andrew Herndon, Bloomberg, June 20, 2013.