Demonstrating a Long-duration Flywheel Energy Storage System

Indian Energy LLC

Recipient

Anaheim, CA

Recipient Location

37th

Senate District

68th

Assembly District

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$678,016

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

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Project Update

The kick-off meeting was held on September 18, 2020. The flywheel technology provider is working on the development, design and construction of the initial unit for this project. The estimated timeframe for the construction and remote testing of this unit is January 31, 2021.

The Issue

Long-duration storage of electrical energy is essential for the state to improve resiliency in the supply of power, particularly to address curtailment or respond to an unplanned grid outage, or planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Native American Tribes are often located in remote areas that are prone to outages where storage could provide critical functions such as increased resiliency and cost savings. This project will use a kinetic energy storage device that can provide a minimum of 10 hours of energy storage capability at a minimum rating of 50 kilowatts. One key research objective is to better understand the value that longer duration energy storage provides.

Project Innovation

The Recipient will install a practical and low-cost kinetic energy flywheel energy storage system and a solar photovoltaic (PV) array to provide energy to the Viejas Tribal Land. The device consists of a rotating disk that is spun up by a motor to store energy; switching the motor to generation mode causes the disk to spin down and discharge energy to the load. Long duration is achieved by using an innovative technology that employs a large rotor with sufficient inertia to store the required energy with very low loss by employing a proprietary electromagnetic off-loading arrangement. The project will prepare a Multi-Unit Operation Report that describes the layout, instrumentation used, and Measurement and Verification data.

Project Goals

Demonstrate Long-Duration Capabilities of the KESC NextGen Flywheel.

Paired with Solar PV, provide a minimum of 10% savings for the Viejas Water Treatment Facility.

Provide the foundation for a Viejas Reservation-wide Microgrid.

Project Benefits

This project will install a long-duration non-Li ion energy storage system and a solar photovoltaic (PV) array to provide energy to the Viejas Tribal Land using an innovative kinetic energy storage device (flywheel) that is practical and low-cost. The device consists of a rotating disk that is spun up by a motor to store energy; switching the motor to generation mode causes the disk to spin down and discharge energy to the load. Long duration is achieved by using an innovative technology that employs a large rotor with sufficient inertia to store the required energy with very low loss by employing a proprietary electromagnetic off-loading arrangement. This Project will result in greater electricity reliability, and lower costs, by demonstrating flywheel integrated motor-generators for high round-trip efficiencies, and the use of commercial off-the-shelf technologies to minimize cost.

Reliability

This Agreement will provide Native American Tribes and their communities increased reliability and resiliency services during times of power interruptions caused by weather, grid system failures, or public safety power shutoffs by demonstrating the use of a kinetic energy storage device to provide power during these identified events.