Energy storage enables energy consumers to store and activate energy strategically in order to lower energy costs, reduce demand on the grid, and reduce their carbon footprint. At Enel X, our battery storage systems work hand-in-hand with our Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Optimization Software to determine when it should charge and discharge—lowering electricity bills by activating stored energy supplies when energy prices peak.
The energy industry is changing, and here are just a couple of the ways we’ve helped our customers stay ahead of the curve.
Predicting Peaks to Curtail Charges
Businesses in Ontario, Canada, like the family-owned commercial orchard Algoma Orchards, face some of the highest electricity costs in North America. This is in part due to electricity charges based on their facilities’ peak demand levels during the five one-hour periods times when grid demand is as its highest throughout the year.
Algoma Orchards and Enel X came up with a solution to both impact the community and reduce annual electricity costs. If they could predict when the grid is at peak demand and reduce their demand at the right time, they could reduce these charges significantly. To accomplish this, Algoma Orchards participates in Enel X’s system peak predictor program, which uses a complex predictive model to assess the daily likelihood of a system peak event on the grid based on an analysis of weather information and market data.
The orchard’s energy storage system—which consists of 520 kW/1,040 kWh of capacity in lithium-ion batteries—automatically charges the battery system when energy prices are the lowest and seamlessly transitions to stored energy when system peaks are most likely. This comprehensive solution enables Algoma Orchards to efficiently use stored energy to save $100,000 a year, all while preventing disruption to production in its facilities or the quality of the company’s products.
