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SMA Large Scale Energy Solution
Large Scale: Store solar power and use it broadly
Store solar power and use it broadly
Sustainable investing and maximum profit
With the SMA Large Scale Energy Solution, you can store solar power. This enables you to manage peaks in demand, stabilize grid voltage and reduce energy costs considerably.
Secure investment in emerging technology
The SMA Sunny Central Storage UP battery storage system will increase the efficiency of your PV power plant. At the same time, battery storage systems perform important grid management functions. Grid frequency fluctuations are avoided thanks to smart plant control with the Power Plant Manager and grid voltage is restored in seconds. Sudden, costly increases in power consumption are prevented by means of load shifting. At night, the energy storage system is charged cost-effectively to cover consumption during the day. SMA storage solutions offer you further potential for maximizing the profit from your sustainable investment.
Benefits
Supplies renewable energy 24/7
Compensates for load peaks with stored power
High flexibility through extremely fast charging/discharging
Additional profit maximization
Industrial-scale energy storage solutions
Use Cases: Grid Services
Industrial-scale energy storage solutions have become mature technology, incorporated into utility scale power plants to serve in many different applications. One major area of application is providing ancillary grid services that provide generation capacity and support grid stability.
Frequency & Voltage Control
Frequency Control ‐ P(f)
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 to frequency events. Enhanced inverter controls and rapid response times make for a great combination.
Voltage Control ‐ Q(V)
Fluctuations in grid voltage, especially at the far ends of distribution feeders, can cause damage to loads and utility equipment. Battery inverters can provide full, four-quadrant support to help maintain voltage levels at points of interconnection by utilizing the volt-var function or a voltage droop.
Transmission & Distribution Deferral
Upgrade Deferral
If demand within a distribution network increases to the point that an asset upgrade is required, it can be extremely expensive for the grid operator. Adding energy storage, at a fraction of the cost of the upgrade, can alleviate the stress on the network caused by the demand increase.
Energy arbitrage can be a great tool for grid operators without the need of renewable generation being in the network. By charging the energy storage system either at night or during another time when energy rates are low, the grid operators have the ability to discharge later on in the day to meet demand and reduce the need for peaker plants to be utilized.
Asset Life Extension
Even if demand growth is not increasing, adding energy storage to an existing distribution network can help extend the life of the assets within the network.
Grid Resiliency
Blackstart
Battery inverters with a DC precharge circuit and grid forming features are capable of starting a grid while down and slowly ramp up voltage to successfully startup a medium voltage transformer. This feature can be utilized by an inverter whose intended application may be for something completely different, but with minimal effort and cost.
Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)
Battery inverters can be utilized in several ways to replicate UPS-like functionality at a fraction of the cost of a similar-sized industrial UPS. Double-conversion, online UPS-like functionality, can be accomplished while also providing ancillary grid services to the grid operator.
Easy Integration
AC coupling allows the energy storage systems to be placed virtually anywhere within a distribution network.
Versatile
The same inverter system can be utilized for a multitude of different applications.
Renewable integration solutions for both AC and DC coupled systems
Use Cases: Renewable Integration
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.
SMA Solutions Overview
Nameplate Power Rating
Add energy storage without increasing total power capacity.
ITC Compliance
Guarantee that all energy flow to and from battery is from renewables.
Round-trip Efficiency
Increase the overall efficiency of the system.
SMA Solutions Overview
Retrofittable
Can be added to a PV site even after it has been commissioned and is operational.
Versatile
Same inverters can be utilized for a multitude of different applications.
Easy Installations
Most efficient to install next to the substation serving the PV site.
AC-coupled systems
AC-coupled systems are ideal when existing PV power plants are retrofitted with battery-storage systems. But the AC-coupled battery-storage system also optimizes load management in new installations. It stores excess energy and makes it available again within milliseconds.
DC-coupled systems
DC-coupled systems are ideally suited for the new installation of large PV power plants with Sunny Central 1,500 V technology. Here, the battery and PV array are connected to the central inverter on the DC side, and excess solar energy is fed directly into the battery in a particularly efficient manner.
Components
AC-coupled storage connection
PV modules
optimized for the local conditions and your requirements.
Sunny Central UP
SMA central inverter that converts solar power (direct current) into usable alternating current.
Sunny Highpower PEAK3
SMA string inverter that converts solar power (direct current) into usable alternating current.
MVPS UP
turnkey container solution with Sunny Central UP and a perfectly coordinated medium-voltage solution that includes a transformer and switchgear.
Sunny Central Storage UP
SMA battery inverter that stores solar power temporarily in the battery and makes it available as required.
Battery
our Engineering Service team will advise you on the appropriate battery capacity and power for you.
Power Plant Manager
smart energy manager that operates in conjunction with SMA Monitoring and is responsible for communication and overall system monitoring.
The system in detail
The SMA Large Scale Energy Solution allows you to store electricity that you can then sell as needed.
Sunny Central Storage UP
The SMA Sunny Central Storage UP battery inverter temporarily stores the surplus solar power in the battery. It performs various grid support functions including frequency, voltage and reactive power control, and it can carry out a black start in the event that the grid collapses.
PV modules
The PV modules generate direct current from incoming sunlight.
Sunny Central UP
The SMA Sunny Central UP central inverter is the core of your SMA Large Scale Energy Solution with a centralized system layout. It converts the direct current generated by the PV system into alternating current to be able to feed this into the grid.
Sunny Central Storage UP
The SMA Sunny Central Storage UP battery inverter temporarily stores the surplus solar power in the battery. It performs various grid support functions including frequency, voltage and reactive power control, and it can carry out a black start in the event that the grid collapses.
SMA Power Plant Manager
The SMA Power Plant Manager monitors and manages the energy flows between producers, consumers and the utility grid. It secures need-based energy generation, helps stabilize the utility grid and contributes to optimal energy marketing.
Battery
The battery efficiently stores the solar power temporarily and makes it available again as required. This means that you can use solar power around the clock and feed it into the grid as necessary.
SMA Monitoring
With SMA Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS, you can keep track of current and historical system data at all times. This also enables you to see exactly how much electricity you could still sell.
SMA Sunny Central Storage UP inverter
Solar power available day and night
The Sunny Central Storage UP battery inverter stores energy in high-voltage batteries and makes it available as required. It can be used flexibly in both PV and hybrid systems. Its intelligent OptiCool cooling system ensures smooth operation, even in extreme ambient temperatures.
Extremely efficient with a power output of up to 4,600 kVA and innovative OptiCool cooling system
Can store and discharge energy very quickly
Suitable for continuous power in power plants in any climate
Enables dynamic grid support
SMA Sunny Central Storage UP battery inverter
How it works
DC-coupled systems
DC-coupled systems are ideally suited for the new installation of large PV power plants with Sunny Central 1,500 V technology. Here, the battery and PV array are connected to the central inverter on the DC side, and excess solar energy is fed directly into the battery in a particularly efficient manner.
Components
DC-coupled storage connection
PV modules
optimized for the local conditions and your requirements.
Sunny Central UP
SMA central inverter that converts solar power (direct current) into usable alternating current.
or Sunny Highpower PEAK3
SMA string inverter that converts solar power (direct current) into usable alternating current.
MVPS UP
turnkey container solution with Sunny Central UP and a perfectly coordinated medium-voltage solution that includes a transformer and switchgear.
DC-DC Converter
allows the DC voltage to be increased or reduced, thus controlling the direction of energy flow to the battery. If the voltage is increased slightly, the battery will be charged. If it is reduced, the battery will discharge.
Battery
our Engineering Service team will advise you on the appropriate battery capacity and power for you.
Power Plant Manager
smart energy manager that operates in conjunction with SMA Monitoring and is responsible for communication and overall system monitoring.
