Electrify America announced today that it has installed its first megawatt-level battery energy storage system (BESS) at a charging station. Located in Baker, California, the battery helps reduce stress on the power grid.
Essentially a massive battery, the new BESS can hold enough electricity to power an average American home for up to three months. In Baker, it’s being used as a buffer to draw and hold electricity when it’s most convenient.
Electric vehicle charging stations, it won’t surprise you to learn, use a lot of electricity. That load can, at times, be a burden on the grid, which must also supply buildings and homes. By charging the battery at off-peak hours, it can then draw from it to charge vehicles when depending on power lines alone might be burdensome to the local utility network.
More: Californians Should Charge EVs During The Day Not During “Off-Peak Hours”
In addition to charging via the grid, Electrify America has also installed a solar canopy on the charging station. This, too, can charge the battery, at a potential of 66 kW, to help further reduce the station’s reliance on the grid.
“The application of the megawatt-level energy storage is the latest example of how we are continuously innovating to tackle infrastructure challenges and meet charging needs today,” Said Jigar Shah, Head of Energy Services at Electrify America. “As we expand the use of such solutions to more of our charging stations and also to our medium-duty and heavy-duty electric fleet customers, we are positioned to enable continued transportation electrification even in the face of utility capacity constraints.”
The new megawatt battery has allowed the Baker charging station to expand from eight to 12 charging ports. These can charge at rates of up to 350 kW, which is the equivalent of up to 20 miles of range in a minute.
Electrify America says that the battery has already come in handy, as loads on the station have surpassed 1 megawatt of peak demand from drivers. At certain times, all of that demand has been served by just the solar canopy and the battery.
