Energy Storage Test Facility and Knowledge Bank

Summary

These resources will provide industry and researchers with a capability to independently test entire energy storage systems and with a central source for existing and future knowledge.

Need

There is currently a lack of real-life data on the performance of energy storage systems on Australian networks and in Australian conditions. End-users are limited with assessing how energy storage can integrate with existing systems and help renewable energy effectively operate in power networks.

A central database would allow the collation, storage and sharing of high quality data, learning and case studies between technology developers, end users and the public. This will help build industry confidence and has the potential to accelerate investment in reliable battery energy storage technologies.

Project innovation

The mobile energy storage test facility will provide plug and play capability to test energy storage systems. It will be able to rapidly connect to any site on and off the grid.

A 20-foot container will house dedicated testing equipment, such as the inverters, dynamic load bank, high resolution monitoring equipment and a high quality weather station. A second, 10-foot container will house the battery storage system, including the battery management system, a smaller data monitoring system for temperature, voltage and current measurement within the battery system and a fire suppression system.

Remote monitoring and control will allow the mobile energy storage test facility to be operated off-site as well as locally. Other energy storage systems will be able to connect to the main 20-foot container for testing, using the same standard connection as used for the ten-foot container. External sensors will monitor other systems in the field, such as PV systems, diesel generator, wind generator, flywheel and local grid.

In addition to the test facility, the University of Adelaide’s barton Campus will be upgraded to enable off-grid testing of energy storage systems under simulated loading conditions including dynamic loading.

Benefit

The resources could accelerate battery storage investment in Australia.

The mobile energy storage test facility can fully test energy storage systems before deployment and allow the testing of extremes (such as rapid charge and discharge) that may not be possible when grid connected due to impacts on grid stability.

This will allow technology developers to fully demonstrate their products and utilities, providing confidence in their performance prior to connecting to the grid.

The online energy storage knowledge bank will provide a single, comprehensive database of test results, reports and case studies relating to the reliability, safety, operation, performance and integration of energy storage systems in Australia.