Design a battery bank to grow with your customers

Whether residential or commercial, energy needs and usage inevitably evolve over time — most often with power loads and required energy increasing as operations or families grow.
With that reality in mind, the ability to deliver energy storage solutions that can scale and expand in sync with an end customer’s needs is an important installation selling point.

Understanding scalability

Battery size and modularity can make a big difference when it comes to project scalability, optimization and ease of installation, but not every battery has the ability to scale. Some are limited to two-to-four in parallel configurations, while other batteries are designed to scale to any desired kWh.

For example, at the Taft Botanical Garden in Ojai, Calif., the property owners realized that their ground mount solar array was generating significantly more energy than anticipated — and more than their initial 21 kWh battery bank could store. At the same time, special events at the garden were taxing the system with high demand. The system installers were able to easily double the size of the battery bank by adding new batteries to the existing bank (blending old and new), harnessing more solar power to the benefit of the property’s operational needs and budget.

Consider kWh optimization and space utilization

Energy storage modularity is also a benefit when it comes to optimizing storage for each unique deployment case and environment. Smaller building blocks allow more flexibility to narrow in on the exact kWh capacity best suited to a project. Modular batteries also allow more freedom when it comes to space utilization, making it possible to install in small, crowded or uniquely configured locations.

At a home in England, for example, the homeowners had only one, tiny “Harry Potter-sized” under-stair closet available to house their battery bank. With small, modular batteries, that installation location proved to be no problem.

Simplify, accelerate your installs

Common battery weights range from 50 lbs to more than 400 lbs. Depending on how much your battery weighs, the installation process will be very different.

Larger batteries require heavy equipment to install and present limitations as to how they can be installed. For example, mounting a 400 lb battery on a wall would be impractical, whereas simple brackets and standard shelving can easily house smaller, lighter weight batteries. You may also find other limitations with larger battery building blocks such as doorway restrictions and stairwell limitations when installing.

When it comes to choosing the right battery for your next storage project, consider solutions that can scale and expand. The added flexibility and simplicity will be appreciated by customers both in the present and years down the road.

This post and the entire 12 Days of Storage was contributed by SimpliPhi.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/news/design-a-battery-bank-to-grow-with-your-customer/]