Battery energy storage systems, also called battery storage power stations, are advanced solutions designed to store, manage, and release electrical energy when power is needed most.
As investment in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar grows, battery energy storage systems (BESS) will enable utilities to transition away from fossil fuels while meeting growing electricity demand.
However, the expansion of BESS facilities will also introduce new operations and maintenance challenges. Grid infrastructure will become more complex, meaning utilities will need to ensure that the batteries, transformers, inverters, switchgear, and ancillary systems are operating safely and reliably.
To learn more about the changing maintenance requirements and the benefits of visual & thermal sensors at BESS facilities, download the recent white paper (requires registration): Continuous Monitoring For Battery Energy Storage Systems.
The Rise of Renewable Energy Generation
Recent decades have seen significant investments in renewable energy sources, especially onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV).
As the technology has improved, the price of wind and solar power has fallen to the point where they are now cost-competitive against coal and other fossil fuels. As of 2022, solar PV was 29 percent less expensive than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired station, while wind became 52 percent cheaper.
Last year, low-emitting energy sources, including wind and solar, were the dominant form of new utility-scale generation in the US, representing more than three-quarters of total new capacity added. Looking ahead, it’s predicted that global renewable electricity capacity will nearly triple from 2021 to 2030.
Despite the advantages of wind and solar generating technologies, both come with a number of challenges that will need to be addressed.
The most obvious is that wind and solar are both intermittent and variable sources of power. In regions well suited to these technologies, capacity factors generally range from between 30 and 50 percent for wind and just 15 to 20 percent for solar. A typical nuclear reactor, for comparison, generates power more than 93 percent of the time.
The Advantages of Battery Energy Storage Systems
Utility-scale BESS supports the deployment of renewable power generation. Integrating BESS with wind and solar power systems has the potential to increase the overall efficiency, reliability, and economic viability of these technologies while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The flexibility that BESS provides will help utilities overcome the variability of wind and solar. BESS facilities can respond almost instantaneously, making it easier to match supply with demand. The systems also allow operators to take advantage of price differences between peak and off-peak periods, stabilize the grid, or provide backup power for critical services.
Already, battery deployment in the power sector increased by more than 130 percent in 2023, adding a total of 42 GW to electricity systems around the world.
This investment is expected to grow significantly in the coming decade. McKinsey estimates that the global BESS market will grow to between $120 billion and $150 billion by 2030.
Increasing Complexity and New Maintenance Challenges
Introducing new technologies to the grid also introduces more complexity, which in turn creates new challenges for the Operations & Maintenance department.
Utilities now have to manage a mix of traditional generating assets, renewable energy sources, and large-scale energy storage facilities. Each of these systems has completely different behaviours, lifespans, and maintenance requirements.
As a result, utilities require greater levels of coordination, oversight, and responsiveness. Given the nature of BESS facilities, the potential consequences of a catastrophic failure can be significantly higher than a typical substation.
Condition-Based Maintenance for BESS Facilities
Battery energy storage systems enable the transition toward renewable energy and help utilities reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting rising electricity demand.
However, the added complexity of these systems introduces new maintenance challenges that must be addressed to avoid catastrophic equipment failures.
Touchless™ Monitoring solutions from Systems With Intelligence leverage utility-grade visual & thermal sensors to provide utilities with continuous, 24/7 monitoring of high-value and critical BESS assets.
With continuous monitoring, utilities can take a proactive approach to maintenance and repairs that mitigates the risk of failure. Once deployed, utilities can transition away from time-based physical inspections and toward a Condition-Based Maintenance strategy.
Learn how visual and thermal sensors help utilities overcome the challenges of maintaining battery energy storage systems, download our recent white paper: Continuous Monitoring For Battery Energy Storage Systems.