Reflex Flow Battery at Farm ACW
This project will entail the deployment of a 1.5 MWDC/5.8 MWhDC Advanced Vanadium Redox Flow Battery, and the other elements to create an Energy Storage System (ESS) at Farm ACWs farm.
UniEnergy Technologies, LLC
Recipient
Orinda, CA
Recipient Location
7th
Senate District
16th
Assembly District
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
This project was terminated 1/5/2022.
The Issue
As California moves toward the 50% RPS goal, the shape of the net load curve throughout the year will change wildly. To achieve 50% renewables using non-dispatchable resources, the grid will be necessarily producing 100% or more renewables during most days of the year. Current technologies being deployed generally have a cycle life of around 1000 cycles, which, if cycled daily would not even last 3 years. There are no bankable technologies, demonstrated in the MW scale that can meet the daily cycling required of a 50% renewables grid for the typical asset lifetime of 20 years.
Project Innovation
This project will entail the deployment of an advanced vanadium redox flow battery, and the other elements to create a 1MW and 4MWh AC Energy Storage System (ESS) at US Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The project will prove the scalability, the integration requirements, the reliability and the bankability of UET's newest high-performing ReFlex battery product. The 1MW and 4MWh system will consist of roughly 109 ReFlex modules connected in 8 DC strings. The system will deliver critical operational flexibility for the Camp Pendleton microgrid to incorporate maximum use of onsite variable renewable generation and optimize the use of dispatchable generators when needed. For SDG&E, the system will provide voltage support at a remote feeder. It will also provide the benefit to SDG&E of a net solar energy time shift to the later peak hours.
Project Benefits
The development of this project will enhance grid resiliency, support the transmission and distribution infrastructure, and will provide low-cost, long-duration electric storage capacity to the California grid. The integration of the advanced vanadium flow battery system and the Power Conversion System (PCS) and peak power controller will provide a working solution for the California market and grid. The design and permitting of the storage system will provide customers and developers working in California with credible operational data, credible budgetary data and a credible pro-forma design.
Affordability
The advanced vanadium flow battery system's unlimited cycle life and 20-year calendar life promises much lower total cost of ownership for future energy storage applications that require high cycling.
Safety
The advanced vanadium flow battery system's provides increased safety because the system is non-flammable. This is in sharp contrast to other battery technologies that are highly flammable.
Key Project Members
Rebecca Gillespie
Subrecipients
Socomec, Inc
Indian Energy LLC
Webcor
Match Partners
UniEnergy Technologies, LLC
Indian Energy LLC
Webcor
