It is well-known fact that the electrical grid is evolving towards creating a most sustainable energy paradigm, due to the irruption of new energy assets in the electrical landscape such as energy storage, that provides more manageability and flexibility at the same time that it boosts optimal penetration of distributed renewable sources in the grid.
Inside the huge business-potential energy storage market, there is a rising trend in the hybridization of several energy storage technologies within the same solution. This revolutionary hybrid concept was inconceivable years ago, but today it is another story. Navigant Research recognizes the potential of customer-sited hybrid energy storage systems (HESS), estimating a deployment of 2 GW by 2026.
That fact is evidenced by the positioning of renowned energy industry leaders that are evaluating the potential of an hybrid energy storage approach in several application areas such as automation or electricity distribution. Recently Maxwell Technologies, an ultracapacitor manufacturing company, has been acquired by Tesla, the Silicon Valley automaker and battery storage manufacturer. This proves beyond any doubt the interest of the industry in the potential of the hybrid concept, offering better performance capabilities and significant cost benefits.
Hybrid Energy Storage Solution Ltd and its core team of former Win Inertia staff was a pioneer in the conception of the hybrid energy storage approach, with the release of its SHAD® technology in 2013. This disruptive enabling platform combines ultracapacitors and battery storage under the same solution, achieving better results in terms of functionality – operating each energy storage system in its comfort zone – and profitability, by stacking multiple grid services.
The Duke Energy Rankin Project was a first-of-its-kind utility-scale HESS deployment, demonstrating multiple service applications, extended operational life, rapid-response, solar smoothing and load shifting.
HESStec continues enhancing the SHAD® solution, adding new features such as the capability of a direct medium voltage connection without a grid transformer, reducing footprint and costs and improving robustness and reliability, at the same time enhancing the integration of distributed RES at medium voltage levels.
HESStec is also about to release a new version of the InMS – Intelligent Node Management System – software platform that performs real-time control and scheduled management of power systems, optimizing performance and reliability of energy storage technologies and other grid assets, including RES, loads and power generators. This update includes two main enhanced features: a business model generator tool, that enables configuration of the SHAD® solution, defining the hybridization ration; and an optimal management system tool, for the real-time operation of a grid/microgrid where multiple services can be provided by various assets, including hybrid energy storage based on SHAD® technology.
A hybrid energy storage revolution is coming.
