In addition to applications in the grid, energy storage is also used in commercial and industrial (C&I) applications to enhance the reliability of energy availability and reduce costs by using stored power during times when grid power is particularly expensive.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that 90% of the world’s electricity may come from renewables by 2050.
The physical footprint of renewable energy generation will increase to achieve this, and space will be at a premium as the industry works towards this ambitious projection. Footprint reduction is also important in applications like EV charging stations and commercial and residential buildings that are constrained to specific spaces.
All energy storage applications can benefit from reducing physical footprint. nVent has developed battery energy storage solutions to help support this growing need.
Even with advances in technology that have reduced the size of batteries themselves, battery energy storage installations need the right infrastructure to support installing many batteries and enclosures in close proximity.
The best way to reduce footprint in energy storage is to reduce as much as possible the space being used for anything other than batteries.
Liquid cooling has been deployed in data centres around the world to manage increasing heat density from next-generation chips. Liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling, because liquid has a higher heat transfer capacity and can get closer to the source of heat than air.
Similarly, liquid cooling can be used in energy storage applications to manage the heat loads generated from rising power density. For energy storage applications the nVent HOFFMAN Chiller pumps cooled fluid through its accompanying Fluid Distribution System in a closed loop. Engineered with footprint in mind, its compact layout and ability to scale easily supports growing design flexibility needs.
The precision cooling control from the chiller helps adjust fluid temperature and flow rates to maximise efficiency. By raising the cooling capacity of energy storage systems with liquid cooling, battery module manufacturers can fit more batteries closer together and increase the power capacity of their installations without increasing footprint.
Efficient and reliable connections
Even with batteries appropriately cooled, they still need to be connected to other sub-components in the energy storage system. Additionally, the design of components like inverters and transformers contributes to the overall footprint of the entire energy storage system. For connections both within and between system components, nVent delivers low-voltage power distribution solutions that reduce installed costs and increase design flexibility.
Historically, many of the connections within equipment like inverters and transformers has been made with cable and lug solutions. While appropriate in some applications, these traditional solutions can be difficult to use when footprint reduction is a primary concern because they require a safe bending radius high enough to accommodate tight turns in small spaces.
Flexible conductors, such as flexible busbars or flat braids, provide more versatile support in these situations. The nVent ERIFLEX FleXbus is a time and space-saving solution. Due to its unique concept, nVent ERIFLEX FleXbus can provide up to 50% quicker installation and a 20% reduction in total installed cost at a minimum.
The nVent ERIFLEX Flexibar can offer greater design flexibility due to the reduced cross-section and minimal bend radius requirements. These busbars can be prefabricated to exact shapes and specifications before being delivered to job sites, saving time and labour during installation.
What comes next?
Demand for energy storage will continue to grow as government investments in infrastructure increase around the world, microgrids become more common and electric vehicles see widespread adoption.
Reducing the footprint of energy storage systems will be a challenge for battery module manufacturers, power companies, commercial buildings, and others. Reexamining power connections and cooling approaches is a great place to start when planning ahead.
nVent can help make these decisions. From cooling to power connections to lightning protection to grounding and bonding, nVent solutions help customers build safe, efficient and sustainable energy storage installations every day.
Our expertise can also help our customers—we offer design and installation support for all our customers. Our global product experts and experienced distribution and service networks are available to support you every step of the way.
We also offer a wide range of online tools and resources to support engineering work, including system design and configuration and field service and maintenance programmes.
For more information about how nVent is creating solutions to reduce footprint in energy storage system designs, head to the nVent website