Minneapolis-based utility Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) announced yesterday it will begin testing a one-megawatt battery to store wind energy.
Xcel Energy said it will be the first use of the technology in the U.S.
Tests will attempt to demonstrate the battery’s ability to store wind energy and move it to the electricity grid when needed. Fully charged, the battery could power 500 homes for over 7 hours, Excel said.
"Energy storage is key to expanding the use of renewable energy," said Dick Kelly, Xcel Energy Chairman, President and CEO. "This technology has the potential to reduce the impact caused by the variability and limited predictability of wind energy generation."
Xcel Energy has signed a contract to purchase a battery from NGK Insulators Ltd. that will be an integral part of a project. The sodium-sulfur battery is commercially available and versions of this technology are already being used in Japan and in a few US applications, but this is the first U.S. application of the battery as a direct wind energy storage device.
The 20 50-kilowatt battery modules will be roughly the size of two semi trailers and weigh approximately 80 tons. They will be able to store about 7.2 megawatt-hours of electricity, with a charge/discharge capacity of one megawatt.
The importance of storing wind-generated energy was demonstrated yesterday, as a Texas utility had to drop coverage to certain customers when wind died down in the evening, just as customer electricity use peaked.
About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis.
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