Texas' grid of tomorrow may include batteries
Sleek lithium-ion battery systems that resemble mainframe computers are poised to connect with Texas' electric grid for the first time this year as more companies seek to revolutionize the power market.
Renewable power advocates see energy storage technologies, such as industry-leading lithium-ion batteries, as the critical step toward making electricity from wind and solar more reliable and cost effective than fossil fuel or nuclear power.
North Carolina-based Duke Energy is converting a 36-megawatt battery system at its wind farm in West Texas from outdated lead-acid batteries to the more efficient lithium-ion variety, favored for electric vehicles.
Likewise, Virginia-based AES Corp. is teaming up with Texas transmission company Oncor to construct a 20-megawatt, lithium-ion battery project in Dallas to help maintain a steady flow of electricity as demand rises and falls. One megawatt can power about 200 typical Houston resi-dences during peak demand.
Battery storage is often called the "Holy Grail" for turning power grids green, because it could provide power during stretches when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining.
"Storage is close in five years to being a potential game changer, but nobody (in Texas) was talking about it," said Don Clevenger, Oncor senior vice president for planning. "Storage really does address a lot of problems with one device. There's a real panacea of benefits."
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Duke Energy will upgrade the battery storage system at its West Texas wind farm to the more efficient lithium-ion variety.
Tesla and others are developing the mass production of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for power grids and homes from the same technology already used in electric cars. The batteries would store energy from power lines or wind turbines and release the power when it's needed most.
Texas is seen as an ideal candidate for battery development because of the state's topography and climate. The state leads the nation in wind power and has several solar farm projects in the works.
"It's totally feasible to be 100 percent renewable with massive grids and storage," said Peter Rive, the co-founder and chief technology officer of SolarCity, a major California solar panel company that's chaired by Tesla founder Elon Musk. "We've done it in some (localized) micro-grids."
How much can solar produce at night? As much as you need.