BESS for industrial users: applications and sizing

• Peak shaving: discharging during high-load windows to reduce demand- and peak-related charges.
• Shifting solar generation: storing surplus midday output and releasing it in the late afternoon and evening, raising self-consumption.
• Backup during outages: keeping critical loads running and avoiding production losses.
• Supporting power purchase contracts: smoothing the generation profile to better match contract structures, including DPPA projects.

A BESS has two independent parameters: power (kW/MW) determines instantaneous discharge capability, energy (kWh/MWh) determines discharge duration. Mismatching the two is the most common reason a system fails to meet its financial target.

• Analyse at least 12 months of 15-minute load data to identify the magnitude and duration of peaks.
• Define the objective: how many kW of peak to remove, for how many hours, on how many days per month.
• Estimate annual cycles, because battery life depends on cycle count and depth of discharge.
• Check compatibility with any existing PV system: hybrid inverter or separate converter, connection scheme and control system.

• LFP (lithium iron phosphate) dominates commercial and industrial applications thanks to thermal stability and high cycle life.
• The battery management system (BMS) and energy management system (EMS) determine real-world safety and operating efficiency.
• Mandatory considerations: ventilation or cooling, suitable detection and fire suppression, safe clearances and emergency procedures.
• Procurement documents to verify: product certification, test reports, and warranty terms expressed in cycles or years.

Fire protection design and related permits must follow applicable regulations and the position of the competent local authority.

• Benefit sources: time-of-use cost reduction, higher solar self-consumption, and avoided losses from outages.
• Costs to include: capital cost, round-trip losses, capacity degradation, O&M, insurance and replacement.
• Test scenarios for tariff structure changes and load growth from capacity expansion.