Electric Grid Technology
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Multi-Flex™ Electric Grid Technology
Problem: power quality and availability
Electricity was the nation’s first “Just in Time” commodity delivery system. There are several problems facing the utility industry as it strives to maintain this system. First, there must be reserve power available at all times to handle a breakdown of even the largest generator so that power will not be interrupted. Second, the grid promises to deliver voltage and frequency within very narrow ranges, and the long runs and uncontrolled use of various machines can cause a voltage drops and/or changes to the waveform. This then requires substations and frequency maintenance systems. But with business and residential growth voltage and waveform maintenance becomes a problem due to the physical distance from the stations to the end user. Battery storage has been used for years as a way to smooth and clean power, but it was expensive and used only in critical applications.
Solution:
Indy Power Systems has reduced the cost of energy storage and enables voltage and frequency regulation as well.
By lowering the cost of battery storage, more systems can be installed in locations closer to troubled areas
Problem: Demand for power can outstrip supply and supply is often greater than demand
It is increasingly difficult to build a power generation plant and transmission lines. These plants and their transmission lines take years to plan, years to build, and cost billions of dollars. Yet demand for electricity grows daily. So far the solution has been to build smaller “peaker” plants that while expensive per kWh to build, the overall cost is much lower than building a large plant. Yet there is still excess generation capacity available “off peak” to supply peak demand if there was an affordable method of storage. The lowest cost storage is pumped water, but this is limited to locations than can support reservoirs necessary for this. The need for “load shifting” is increasing because wind energy is most often available at night when there is already excess capacity. In some areas the price for electricity can go “negative” for short periods of time when demand is low and production is high. Often these same areas can see the wholesale price hit a maximum regulatory “limit” of $500 MWh when demand outstrips supply. The alternative is brownouts and blackouts.
Solution:
Indy Power Systems has the lowest cost battery storage system available and it is both scalable and upgradeable.
By lowering the cost of storage, Indy Power Systems can assist utilities, alternative energy suppliers, and businesses shave peaks off of demand, and provide utilities electricity for peak demand. The system is low cost because any combination of batteries, new or used can be integrated for storage. And used batteries cost 20% of new batteries per kWh. The storage system can scale from under 50kWh to over 50MWh. Also, battery storage technology can be changed with only a software upgrade, so new technologies can be added or used to replace previous technologies.
