![]() ![]() The wind only blows when it blows, and solar energy can only be collected during the day. One of the problems facing renewable energy is it is only generated during specific times of the day. If the battery programs are successful and ultimately expanded, it could provide a way to better store renewable energy for grids in the Pacific Northwest. The batteries in Glacier are essentially double-wide electric bus batteries, Jusak said. The batteries are manufactured by BYD, a lithium-ion battery producer in China which makes most of its money making the batteries for electric buses. Each container holds thousands of battery cells within larger batteries. The technology itself is intricate, with internal computers constantly monitoring 13,000 points within the four shipping containers. The project was completed in 2016 and tests are continuing to boost reliability above 90 percent, at which point PSE may look at ways to expand the program to other regions within its service area. It’s designed to serve as a short term backup power source for the town center of Glacier, which has a single 55kV power line running to it. The project, known as the Glacier Battery Storage Project, was created in 2016 and funded partially by $3.8 million in grants from the Washington state Department of Commerce, as well as $7.4 million from PSE. “This is definitely a pilot project,” Jusak said outside the containers. ![]() In a matter of seconds, the intake of energy from the power grid can be reversed and sent out to power the town center of Glacier during outages. The batteries are charging, and within a few minutes the four containers have charged from 38 to 40 percent. “We want to avoid building new fossil fuel generation,” Lewis said.On a rainy day in the foothills of Mount Baker, engineers from Puget Sound Energy gathered at a pilot project located just outside of the tiny town of Glacier.Īs rain pattered against the exterior of four large shipping containers, inside Paul Jusak, a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) controls engineer, pushed a few buttons an a built-in computer and the thousands of battery cells inside the containers hummed to life. The goal is to better integrate that electricity into the power grid, he said. The state already gets about 23 percent of its electricity from wind, solar, biomass and geothermal production. In California, state law requires utilities to start buying batteries that can store renewable energy. He’s the executive director of Clean Coalition, which advocates for increased use of renewable energy. With storage, we’ll be able to meet the peak electrical requirements, which wind and solar can’t do now.”Ĭraig Lewis traveled from Menlo Park, California, to see the project. “It’s the missing puzzle piece for clean energy resources in the Northwest. “I think it’s interesting that these are being built,” said Tom Karier, Eastern Washington representative for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Snohomish PUD is planning a test with UniEnergy batteries used in Pullman. Testing of lithium ion batteries is underway by the utility, but those batteries store less energy. The Snohomish County Public Utilities District also is experimenting with battery storage. Electricity from the batteries is available almost instantly, while the generators take about 15 minutes to fire up, Whitehead said.ĭuring extremely hot or cold days, when demand for electricity is high, Avista will also draw on the energy stored in the batteries to level out spikes in demand. The company produces sophisticated equipment for the electrical grid, which is sold in 147 countries.ĭuring power outages, Schweitzer will use the batteries as a backup electrical source instead of diesel-fired generators. Over the next 18 months, Schweitzer Engineering will provide the real-world application for testing how the batteries work. The technology was licensed to UniEnergy Technologies of Mukilteo, Washington, which manufactured them.Īvista is putting $3.8 million into the Pullman test, which is also funded by a $3.2 million grant from the state’s Clean Energy Fund. Department of Energy funded the research for the batteries at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Multiple companies and government agencies are involved in the battery storage project. With the wind gusting across the Palouse, their initial charge probably included some electricity from nearby wind turbines in Rosalia. ![]() ![]() The batteries generating so much excitement are housed in two rows of metal shipping containers in Pullman’s industrial park. We’ll be making a commitment to future generations.” “When we flip the switch today, we won’t just be making clean energy. “We’re laying the groundwork for the most transformative change in the electric grid system in 60 years,” Inslee said. ![]()
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