Transmission and Storage

The U.S. Grid

The US power grid is actually not one grid, but is made up of three main sections: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and the Lone Star State’s ERCOT grid. The Texas grid is a bit different from the other national grids because it is not connected to these other grid networks, meaning it cannot easily transmit energy into or out of the state. As we transition to more renewable sources, energy storage will become an increasingly important factor in the future because it will allow the grid to store the energy produced during peak hours to use it when renewable sources are unavailable.

Here’s how we transport electricity from the source to you
(Shown as Natural Gas).

WESTERN

EASTERN

ERCOT

ERCOT

1

Gas Production

Natural Gas is extracted from the ground

2

Gas Processing

Natural Gas is processed and sent to the City Gate

3

City Gate

Natural Gas is received, processed and sent to the power plant

4

Power Plant

Natural Gas is transformed into electricity and sent to the city

5

Home and Business

1

Gas Production

Natural Gas is extracted from the ground

2

Gas Processing

Natural Gas is processed and sent to the City Gate

3

City Gate

Natural Gas is received, processed and sent to the power plant

4

Power Plant

Natural Gas is transformed into electricity and sent to the city

5

Home and Business

The ERCOT grid is isolated from the rest of the U.S., which makes it hard to inject energy from other sources outside the grid. Having stored, potential, energy would be ideal but, are we there yet?

1

Battery

  • Electrical energy stored in DC
  • Discharge the electrical energy to grid via PCS
2

BMS (Battery Managment System)

  • Monitoring battery’s current, voltage, temperature, SOC, devices status
  • Exchange information and data to communicate with PCS
3

FFS (Fire Fighting System)

4

PMS (Power Managment System)

  • Monitor and estimate power consumption and active operation
  • A real-time information recived from PCS to monitor the ESS
  • The ESS managment according to the host controller command
  • Managment system history and version
  • Faulty condition, remote maintenance for recovery available
5

PCS (Power Conditioning System)

  • Invert DC power stored in batteries to AC power with voltage and frequency of commercial
  • Convert AC power to DC charged in batteries

Explore

The Truth on Energy Storage

Although we have been advancing our battery and storage technology, we are not yet at the point where we could count on powering a city with battery power for a long time. See some stats below.

1

THE LATEST FORM OF SOLAR READY STORAGE

Grid-Scale Battery Storage

40’ container 1MWh - Cost Range: $300,000 - $800,000

1

Battery

  • Electrical energy stored in DC
  • Discharge the electrical energy to grid via PCS
2

BMS (Battery Managment System)

  • Monitoring battery’s current, voltage, temperature, SOC, devices status
  • Exchange information and data to communicate with PCS
3

FFS (Fire Fighting System)

4

PMS (Power Managment System)

  • Monitor and estimate power consumption and active operation
  • A real-time information recived from PCS to monitor the ESS
  • The ESS managment according to the host controller command
  • Managment system history and version
  • Faulty condition, remote maintenance for recovery available
5

PCS (Power Conditioning System)

  • Invert DC power stored in batteries to AC power with voltage and frequency of commercial
  • Convert AC power to DC charged in batteries

With one of these 1 MWh container batteries, you’d have electricity for:

1.2

Months of power for an average U.S. home

2

Refrigerators run for a year

3.6x

Trips across Texas North to South

260

Watt light bulbs run nonstop for a year

With 1,000 of these you’d have 1 GWh of power, which is enough electricity to:

1 GW would power the
Dallas DART light rail system for about

3 days

1

Vistra Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility

Location: California, US

Developer: Vistra Energy Corporation

Capacity: 400MW/1,600MWh

2

Manatee Energy Storage Center Project

Location: Florida, US

Developer: Florida Power & Light (FPL)

Capacity: 409MW/900MWh

3

Victorian Big Battery

Location: Near Geelong, Australia

Developer: Neoen

Capacity: 300MW/450MWh

4

McCoy Solar Energy Project BESS

Location: California, US

Developer: NextEra Resources

Capacity: 230MW/920MWh

5

Elkhart Battery

Location: California, US

Developer: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Capacity: 182.5MW/730MWh

The biggest 5 batteries in the world, combined, store

4.6
GWh

of sable capacity

This would be enough to power Houston homes for less than 3 hours.

1

Vistra Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility

Location: California, US

Developer: Vistra Energy Corporation

Capacity: 400MW/1,600MWh

2

Manatee Energy Storage Center Project

Location: Florida, US

Developer: Florida Power & Light (FPL)

Capacity: 409MW/900MWh

3

Victorian Big Battery

Location: Near Geelong, Australia

Developer: Neoen

Capacity: 300MW/450MWh

4

McCoy Solar Energy Project BESS

Location: California, US

Developer: NextEra Resources

Capacity: 230MW/920MWh

5

Elkhart Battery

Location: California, US

Developer: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Capacity: 182.5MW/730MWh

The biggest 5 batteries in the world, combined, store

4.6 GWh

of sable capacity

This would be enough to power Houston homes for less than 3 hours.

The Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility has a capacity of 400 MW / 1600 MWh and has a footprint of 3 football fields.

It would power Dallas for about

19 hours

From a cost perspective, powering our homes with batteries is still unattainable for most Americans

3x

With current technology it cost us triple the amount to store electricity in comparison to just using it at the point of being generated by solar panels

To power an average Texas home you would need at least 3 Tesla Powerwall Units + Solar + the actual sunshine

Sunlight

3 powerwall system

$25,500

Will need to replace after 20 years

Solar Hardware

$20,000

Total

$45,500

2

ANOTHER FORM OF ENERGY STORAGE IS

Pumped-Storage Hydropower

According to the 2021 edition of the Hydropower Market Report, PSH currently accounts for 93% of all utility-scale energy storage in the United States.

America currently has 43 PSH plants and has the potential to add enough new PSH plants to more than double its current PSH capacity.

1

Excess energy from the grid is used at times of low demand to pump water uphill

2

When demand rises, or there is a shortage of supply from other sources, water is released downhill

3

Water runs through a turbine to generate electricity

4

Electricity is sent to the grid via a tranformer

Water-Flow Direction

Producing

Pumping

Water-Rotation Direction

Producing

Pumping

Pros and Cons of Pumped-Storage Hydropower

Pros

Low operating cost and long service life

Renewable and sustainable

Minimal environmental repercussions

Controllability

Can Promote Recreational activities

Water supply and flood control

Cons

High startup cost relative to other technologies

Energy loses

Possibility of affecting aquatic life and habitats due to sedimentation

Impact on water quality

Climate dependent

Constrained by the necessary geographic features