How Commeo’s intelligent solutions contribute to grid stabilisation
The public electricity grid is a complex structure with countless participants. In short, electricity is transmitted over long distances via high voltage and then distributed to the individual consumers via low voltage. Electricity consumption varies constantly and fluctuates not only at different times of the day, but also depending on the season. The rise of renewable energies has further increased the complexity of the electricity grid, as many small producers now feed their electricity into the public grid. The exact quantities of electricity can vary greatly and depend on external conditions. This article describes how the grid can be kept stable at all times and what precautions need to be taken to achieve this.
The electricity mix and the challenge of renewable energies
When you flick the light switch at home, you don’t usually give much thought to what it takes to do so. We take a constant and uninterrupted power supply for granted. Power failures are extremely rare and when they do occur, they are only of short duration. To ensure this, an electricity mix is used in this country in which the proportion of renewable energies increases from year to year. This development is positive as it makes us less dependent on fossil and finite energy sources. However, renewable energy sources pose a challenge, as electricity from the sun, wind or water does not flow continuously as it does in a conventional power plant.
In the summer months, photovoltaic systems generate a lot of electricity during the day. But what about during the windless winter months? Then there can be a shortage of electricity from solar power and wind energy. In order to ensure a reliable power supply, measures must be taken to stabilise the power grid.
Even the smallest fluctuations can lead to a power outage
Utility companies that operate the electricity grids must ensure that all consumers have an adequate supply of electricity at all times. This applies to both small households and electricity-intensive industrial companies. For the electricity grid to function optimally, the amount of electricity generated must always correspond to the amount consumed. Even minor deviations can lead to load fluctuations and, in the worst case, to power outages that temporarily shut down the entire grid.
Interruption of the power supply must therefore be avoided at all costs. Extensive precautions and effective load control are required to ensure that sufficient power is available at all times.
Electricity storage as a major challenge
A decisive factor in the complexity of the electricity grid is the fact that electricity cannot be stored efficiently. In order to ensure that sufficient electricity is available at all times, the feed-in must correspond to consumption. The electricity grid only tolerates very minor fluctuations.
Modern battery storage systems help to stabilise the electricity grid
Battery storage systems play an important role in stabilising the electricity grid and have continued to develop as a technology. A decade ago, it was almost inconceivable to store energy efficiently due to the costs involved, but today more and more cost-effective solutions are coming onto the market. Modern battery storage systems, such as those offered by Commeo, make it possible to store energy from solar or wind sources, for example. Surplus energy is channelled into the storage system to be used at a later time when generation is lower than demand. This flexibility contributes to the expansion of renewable energies and increases security of supply.
Battery storage systems impress with their speed
Battery storage systems offer a number of advantages over conventional power plants. The electricity from a battery storage system can be fed into the grid within a few seconds and thus compensate for grid fluctuations, which would take conventional power plants significantly longer. Battery storage systems are also suitable for various applications. They can not only be used to stabilise the grid, but also for energy trading on official electricity exchanges and for setting up charging infrastructures for electric vehicles. They are also capable of black starting and can therefore help to restore the power supply in the event of a blackout.
The technology behind battery storage systems
Fortunately, storage technology has continuously improved in recent years. Nowadays, storage systems can store electricity efficiently and cost-effectively until it is actually needed. Commeo offers modern energy storage solutions in various sizes, from handy energy storage blocks to generously dimensioned containers.
The underlying technology in all of these solutions is modern NMC technology, which is also used in electric cars. This is based on lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxides and offers a high energy density combined with high cycle stability. With up to 10,000 charging and discharging cycles, Commeo’s battery storage systems stand for a long service life. Several full cycles, i.e. the complete charging and discharging of the battery storage system, are possible in a single day.