Agricultural energy storage charging

Why do farms need a battery?

A battery can allow farms to get off-grid, e.g. in case of a temporary power outage (as back-up or UPS – Uninterruptable Power Supply). Through the use of batteries, farms can offer flexibility to the wider energy system (including through aggregators) for supporting the grid.

What happens if a farm sells its electricity to the grid?

If the farm has to sell its electricity to the grid – at moments when there is an excess production of renewable energy compared to the energy use at that moment on the farm– it will receive the wholesale price as revenue.

What are the different types of energy storage systems?

Energy storage systems include electric batteries (stationary as well as in electric vehicles), pumped hydro systems, power-to-heat systems such as hot water boilers or heat pumps that can convert excess electricity to heat to be stored for later use and power-to-gas systems that convert excess electricity into hydrogen.

How can farmers support the grid?

increasing the self-consumption rate of the onsite produced renewable energy and providing an UPS in case of a power outage are the most obvious ones. Moreover, farmers can support the grid by managing the peak power of the decentralized renewable energy installations by using batteries.

What are the target groups for solar energy storage?

One of the target groups is the agricultural sector. Beekeeping farm with installation of solar panels and batteries for energy storage that generates the electricity that feeds the warehouse and the pumping of water from the well. The installation power has 3,000 W of solar panels and 3,000W in batteries.

What role do farms play in the energy transition?

Farms can play an important role in the energy transition in rural areas and in the sustainable production of food. In contrary to other SMEs or residential houses, farms often have a lot of space to install renewable energy systems like wind or solar energy techniques.