Grid energy storage, sometimes called large-scale energy storage, is a collection of methods used to store electrical energy on a large scale within an electrical power grid. Basically, energy is stored when production of electricity exceeds consumption and is returned to the grid when production falls below consumption.
A behind-the-meter (BTM) system is a Renewable Energy system uniquely designed and built for a single building or facility – which is what Convergent, an independent developer of energy storage solutions in North America, and IHI Energy Storage, a Chicago-based subsidiary of IHI, Inc., New York launched in Sarnia, Ontario.
The battery system that developer and owner Convergent announced on August 15 is for an industrial customer, and the two matching utility-scale storage projects will end up being the largest power capacity system built in North America this year, according to GreenTech Media.
We're proud to announce w/ IHI Energy Storage the commissioning of the BIGGEST #BTM #EnergyStorage system in North America! pic.twitter.com/VWrAmXmiCZ
— Convergent E+P (@ConvergentEP) August 15, 2018
The 10-megawatt/20-megawatt-hour system, supplied by IHI Energy Storage, sits behind the meter at a large petrochemical facility in order to reduce its Global Adjustment charge, The Global Adjustment Charge was enacted in Ontario under the Green Energy Act of 2009.
For industrial and other large businesses, the adjustment charge appears as a separate item on the electric bill and is assessed by the Ontario government based on consumption during the five hours of peak system demand in a year, while with residential customers and small businesses, the fee is hidden – appearing on your electricity bill as a part of the per kilowatt-hour charge.
Convergent entered the Ontario market in 2014 and became the first company to bring a Global Adjustment energy storage system online. Convergent also claims its proprietary algorithm is 25 percent more accurate at peak prediction than public market forecasts and with the company’s battery system, large industrial and commercial customers can save up to 40 percent on their electric bills.
And Convergent’s latest project marks IHI Energy Storage’s entry into the Ontario market. As a systems integrator, IHI provides energy storage solutions for both front of the meter and behind the meter applications. IHI’s innovative solutions include adaptive, real-time operation software, technology agnostic system designs, and autonomous operation capabilities.