Store solar power
and use it broadly

Energy Shifting and Clipped Loss Capture

As module prices continue to decline, increasing the DC-AC ratio on a PV inverter continues to add benefit by allowing more energy production during the shoulder hours. The downside is that there is a large amount of energy loss due to inverter clipping since they have maximum AC power limits. These limits are typically defined by the interconnection with the utility. Adding DC-coupled storage can enable the system to capture what would have otherwise been lost due to clipping and export this energy at a later time.

Dispatchable Asset

Solar energy is well known for being an intermittent resource due to variability in weather. When energy storage is paired on the DC side together with a solar inverter, the asset as a whole becomes much more firm and can be controlled in such a way to make it dispatchable. When the asset is dispatchable, it gets treated in the same way a peaker-power plant or generation plant would, which further strengthens renewable energy’s position in today’s energy markets.

Ramp Rate Control

In some renewable energy markets there are requirements set regarding ramp rates. Controlling ramp-up rates is relatively easy for a PV inverter. However, controlling ramp-down rates can be challenging, even with advance weather forecasting tools. Adding DC-coupled storage to a PV inverter in this scenario can overcome these challenges by using the storage as a buffer, helping to smooth out the PV inverter’s output power without increasing the nameplate rating of the plant.

Frequency Control

Frequency Control Frequency is held to a very strict tolerance, therefore, deltas in frequency must be mitigated. Renewable energy can introduce fluctuations in grid frequency. Energy storage, specifically battery storage, is an ideal way to solve this issue due to its nearly instantaneous reaction time. Enhanced inverter controls and rapid response times make for a great combination.