Affected by the international situation and changes in energy production, countries around the world are under pressure from energy shortages. In addition to increasing energy production capacity and sources, reducing energy losses through technical assistance is also an important development direction. This article will show you the development of smart grid applications, as well as the characteristics and advantages of Energy Storage System (ESS) solutions proposed by ADI.
Storage of renewable energy in ESS keeps modern electrical grids stable
A centralized energy network is a network formed by generator-produced energy, high-voltage transmission lines and low-voltage transmission lines that deliver power over long distances and provide power which is country's life cycle and powers the country’s economy. As the world becomes more electrified, aging electrical grids are under tremendous pressure. Higher demand for electricity during peak hours has become the norm, and power limitations in some backward countries and regions due to inadequate capacity and infrastructural failures also affect the quality of life of people.
ESS is an application technology which keeps the modern electrical grid stable through capturing and storing renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar energy). By mitigating intermittent problems faced by renewable energy sources, energy storage technologies have helped to remove barriers that previously prevented greater use of wind and solar energy. Through ESS, power is readily available to all users and applications including EVs charging, buildings, hospitals, and schools. ESS not only supports electrical grids operating during peak hours, it also preserves existing electrical grid infrastructure without the risks of grid overload and collapse.
In recent years, energy storage and ESS became the focus of global attention due to the expected penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) and other electrification technologies. ESS will support the growth of EVs and also serve as the main use of second-life batteries. ESS effectively promotes the integration of renewable resources in mainstream energy production, including the recycling of batteries (Recycle), as batteries themselves remain valuable even at the end of their life cycle in EV applications. In addition, used battery modules can be tested and reassembled (Refabricate) or integrated into a fixed storage system for reuse (Reuse), and the power generated by these large batteries could be resold (Resell) to stabilize the electrical grid.
Distributed energy networks will provide cheaper power supply than traditional grids
To support the use of sustainable energy, ESS captures and stores energy supplied primarily by distributed and variable sources of renewable energy. This not only benefits the environment, but also the populations of developed and underdeveloped countries where electrification is used to promote business development and sustain life. ESS not only stores energy during low-demand periods for peak load usage, it also enables future grid operation without investing trillions of dollars to expand power transmission lines or build new fossil fuel power plants which pollute the atmosphere.
Renewable energy may serve as the impetus for powering the future. In 2017 and 2018, renewable energy contributed 18.1% and 26% to world energy consumption and power generation, respectively. Of this energy consumption, 7.5% comes from traditional biomass, 4.2% from heat energy (non-biomass), 1% from biofuels for transportation, 3.6% from hydroelectricity and 2% from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and ocean power combined.
Demand for a sustainable energy future is driving more variable renewable energy sources into the electrical grid, which in turn accelerates the adoption of energy storage technologies and maximizes the resilience of electrical grids. It is predicted that the energy storage market, driven by the expected penetration of EVs and other electrification technologies, will rapidly grow in the coming decades with investment in new energy storage expected to soar by $620 billion over the next two decades. By 2030, 65% of additional storage capacity is expected to be used to connect various renewable energy sources to the electrical grid and provide various electrical grid services where 30% of additional capacity will support residential, commercial, and industrial facilities, with 5% to support EV infrastructure.
While many practical barriers remain to distributed energy networks, the development of local solar power plants, small wind farms and battery storage facilities has led to significant gains in small-scale economies and a significant reduction in the cost of renewable energy technologies over the past decade. Consumers who produce clean electricity according to their needs are allowed to return excess power to the grid through distributed power generation from renewable sources such as solar and wind energy.
Currently, the electrical grid is shifting from centralized power generation to distributed renewable power generation, creating huge opportunities for energy storage. There are currently two basic types of energy storage: The first storage solution is a “front of the meter” storage solution known as grid-scale energy storage, which specifically designed for major energy producers. The second storage solution is an “behind the meter” storage solution where residential owners and businesses can take advantage of various energy storage options installed within their homes. Distributed renewable energy is expected to be cheaper than grid power supply by 2025.
BMS is a key technology in the energy storage market
The rapidly changing backdrop of electrification and relatively mature energy storage market represents challenges and huge business opportunities faced by ESSs. With extensive hardware system expertise, industry-leading battery management system (BMS) technology, and well-known comprehensive on-site support, ADI provides next-generation ESS solutions for companies wishing to enter the ESS market. ADI strives to develop a next-generation energy storage system and seeks collaboration to quickly develop and industrialize an accurate, high-performance ESS whose functionality is certified safe.
ADI, in view of long-term cooperation, works with companies interested in entering the ESS market to quickly industrialize ESS for functional safety certification. ADI helps ESS companies accelerate their listing and profitability, and provides high-performance solutions at acceptable costs whilst also providing assistance and guidance for enterprises in integration, power supply and full-system solution design.
For over half a century, ADI’s goals have been to help create and unlock technologies which address toughest engineering challenges, share insights, and support partners and customers in designing the right solutions to empowering the global population while driving human potential. To succeed in the fiercely competitive ESS market, having a solution with unique advantages that distinguishes it from competing products is paramount, with core advantages lying in software and unsurpassed accuracy BMS technology in ADI.
BMS accuracy is critical in ESS applications. With ADI BMS technology, improved BMS accuracy unlocks an additional 15% to 20% of vehicle range and longer battery life. Higher precision in charging measurement translates into an extended battery coverage period with significant cost savings in large ESS systems ranging in the millions of dollars.
Partners work with ADI’s field engineers
ADI's professional field application engineer (FAE) team works closely with partners' software knowledge using its extensive hardware system expertise and industry-leading BMS technology. ADI provides ESS partners with LTC6813 to measure and monitor battery cells and provide precise voltage and current information. LTC6813 is a high-accurate device in today’s market which allows ADI’s partners' engineers to calculate the battery state of charging (SoC) and state of health (SoH) with extreme precision via microcontrollers.
To determine the exact battery discharge rate and achieve longer EV ranges, a more accurate BMS is required, as well as an accurate understanding of how much electrical energy remains to determine the remaining distance. One must be aware of how much the battery is charged and when to stop discharging to prevent degradation of battery performance or the battery itself. With higher measurement accuracy of BMS, the lifespan of EV batteries with BMSes will be longer than those with BMSes of lower accuracy. The same principle applies to residential or commercial ESS.
ADI’s FAE provides complete support to its partners on several levels. It can collaborate with energy storage partners in creating reference designs at the system level and finalize designs, as well as provide ICs, the BMS and isolated communication channel designs for partners, even providing finalized solutions to its partners.
Although ADI's BMS devices are highly complex in their chip design, customers however have an extremely easy time with design. Far from being merely a device provider, ADI is a true partner with extensive system-level knowledge, in-depth domain expertise, and important ESS experience and insights. ADI can provide technical support to ESS companies’ local teams, along with expert-level field application engineers. ADI not only provides hardware for BMS, power supply and monitoring systems, but also ensures high accuracy, performance, reliability and market speed at critical moments so that ESS companies can secure new customers in a competitive market while enhancing profitability.
Conclusion
As energy demand and consumer roles continually evolve, ESS solutions will play an even more prominent role in powering the world. This shift lays the foundation for a shift from environmentally-damaging fossil fuels to cleaner and more sustainable energy applications. ESS supports efficient connections between renewable energy sources and the electrical grid, thereby promoting greater use of renewable energy whilst potentially saving trillions of dollars as existing grid infrastructure is economically and efficiently upgraded.
ADI works with energy storage companies to accelerate charging and develop accurate, safe, and cost-effective ESS solutions. ADI and its partners are paving the way for an energy-independent, more sustainable electrified future as well as a healthier environment and global ecosystem.