BC Hydro and S&C Electric Company Partner on Energy Storage Project to Improve Reliability, Provide Peak Shaving

S&C Electric Company - 06.23.2011

S&C Electric Company, a renewable energy integration leader shaping the future smart grid, today announces that it has been selected by BC Hydro for an energy storage project that will greatly improve service reliability for a remote mountain community in British Columbia. The energy storage system, which is funded, in part, by Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy Fund, will also reduce peak load demand for a second community, limiting carbon emissions and enabling deferral of capital expenditures.

“We have been working with the communities of Golden and Field to address issues around reliability, capacity and access,” said Greg Reimer, executive vice-president of Transmission and Distribution, BC Hydro. “We are keeping the lights on in B.C. with integrated planning and the advancement of our system through the use of new technology. We are also strengthening and upgrading our existing system which has provided power to this province for 50 years.”

The innovative energy storage solution utilizes two battery systems, one installed at Field and a second in Golden, BC, to provide back-up power for Field and to shave peak loads. The peak shaving application—which uses a unique approach where load is directly monitored and stored energy injected as needed—will allow BC Hydro to save on investments in transmission system capacity that would otherwise be required to meet peak demand.

For this project, S&C will engineer and install a complete energy storage solution featuring S&C’s Smart Grid SMS™ Storage Management System and IntelliTEAM SG™ Automatic Restoration System. This turnkey system will seamlessly integrate sodium-sulfur batteries on to the grid, allowing the batteries to support a portion of the peak load depending on demand. This integrated solution optimizes total system efficiency and reliability for the community.

“With significant experience in designing and deploying energy storage systems in North America, S&C offers field-proven energy storage technology,” said Jim Sember, Vice President, Power Quality Products, S&C Electric Company. “We continue to develop new energy storage solutions relying on distributed intelligence to help both communities – and the utilities that operate these systems – maximize benefits from these new technologies.”

S&C is the most experienced and successful integrator of NaS battery systems in North America, and has supplied power conversion, controls, and installation services for over 90% of such batteries in the U.S. As demonstrated with this project, integrated solutions provide increased grid reliability and stability to better serve residents and reduce the effect of outages.

S&C will also test and commission these systems to ensure successful operation.

For additional information about this project, visit http://www.bchydro.com/news/articles/press_releases/2011/battery_project_golden_field.html

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