ABB Takes Microgrid Offshore…Who’s Top for C&I Storage?…King Offers DER Bill in Senate
ABB plans to install a solar plus storage microgrid for an offshore platform operated by Woodside, Australia’s largest independent oil and gas company.
The system will be installed on the Goodwyn A platform to help Woodside achieve its 2020 goal of reducing carbon emissions. The system will lower operating and maintenance costs, according to ABB.
ABB will install its containerized, plug-and-play PowerStore battery system at the 55,000-ton offshore production facility. The battery will replace one of the six existing gas turbine generators and will reduce the need for an emergency diesel generator. It also provides short-term backup and a spinning reserve within the microgrid.
[clickToTweet tweet=”ABB to install #microgrid on offshore oil platform @BillRose_ABB ” quote=”ABB to install microgrid on offshore oil platform”]
A dedicated ABB Ability Microgrid Plus control system will act as the brain of the system. The system will be able to operate the microgrid remotely if the need arises or the platform has to be de-manned for any reason.
“Microgrids and energy storage are key focus areas of our Next Level strategy and this innovative solution reinforces ABB’s position as a partner of choice in enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation business within the company’s Power Grids division.
Report names top companies for C&I behind-the-meter storage
Stem, Green Charge and Advanced Microgrid Solutions top the list of companies providing behind-the-meter energy storage for U.S. commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in a new analysis by IHS Markit Energy Storage Intelligence.
IHS evaluated market presence, growth and operational capabilities for the companies. All three companies scored above average in the evaluation.
Stem, Green Charge, and AMS have different growth strategies in terms of target customers and ownership models, IHS says. But all three have found success in California, where they have invested in software, aggregation capabilities, utility contracts and repeat business.
IHS says that multiple smaller energy storage players are also gaining strength in the C&I market by focusing on their key strengths. The report named JLM Energy and SimpliPhi for battery and technology leadership, and flow battery suppliers such as ESS and Primus Power for their focus on microgrids and long duration applications. Go Electric and other new entrants look to monetize uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units by also providing grid services, the report says.
The report also projects rapid U.S. growth of the behind-the-meter C&I energy storage market, with annual installations forecast to grow ten-fold over the next five years, resulting in over 1 GW.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Stem, Green Charge and AMS top list for C&I energy storage #batteries” quote=”Stem, Green Charge and AMS top list for C&I energy storage #batteries”]
King offers legislation to encourage state DER policies
U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, yesterday introduced a bill to encourage states to create policies fostering distributed energy resources (DERs).
Called the Next Generation Grid Resources and Infrastructure Development (GRID) Act, the bill would leverage federal resources to support grid resiliency.
States and utilities could use the resources to identify vulnerabilities where DER could help reduce costs or protect critical infrastructure —such as hospitals and schools, according to an announcement by King.
The legislation would establish a set of parameters for states to use in governing distributed energy, although each state would retain the authority to design its own set of rules within those parameters.
“By encouraging a commonsense framework for connecting distributed energy resources to the grid, we can build a diverse, resilient energy system that supports a 21st century economy. From lowering energy costs by increasing the efficiency of our electricity grid, to strengthening the resilience of the system from potential disruption, this bill will help keep the lights on, bolster our national security, and move our country forward,” said King.
The legislation comes after Maine just experienced the worst power outage in its history. More than 1.5 million homes lost power when hurricane-force winds and torrential rain battered New England in late October.
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