In early 2021, REC was proud to launch the first grid-scale energy storage project by an electric cooperative in Virginia. Your Cooperative continues to serve as an industry leader and takes advantage of the latest technology to increase reliability, sustainability and affordability for our member-owners. This battery project has the capability to discharge two megawatts of power for a period of four hours – or eight megawatt-hours, which gives REC a significant new tool that will help reduce power costs for all Cooperative members. Further, the batteries will help increase reliability, as well as help with managing voltage, another great factor for both savings and managing the system. Besides improving reliability, the battery storage system helps REC manage power costs by dispatching stored energy during peak times when electricity is more expensive for the Cooperative to purchase. If the batteries are charged when power is cheap, and discharged when power prices are at their peak, REC saves money and those savings are then passed along to member-owners.
The battery system was strategically placed in Spotsylvania County to understand how batteries can be used to solve load concerns at key points on the grid. Instead of replacing a line or a transformer that may overload only a few hours per year, during the highest peak periods, a well-placed battery system can supplement energy delivered into the grid and reduce load overall.
Grid-Scale Battery Storage
First energy-storage project by a Virginia electric co-op.
- Location: Spotsylvania County
- Capacity: 2 MW
- Duration: 8 hours of power to 1,000 homes
REC has launched a new battery storage project, which will provide member-owners with more resilient, sustainable and affordable energy.
REC and East Point Energy, a leading energy storage project developer, recently announced the first grid-scale energy storage project by a Virginia electric cooperative. Powin Energy Corporation will serve as the project’s integrator and equipment provider. Indie Energy provided technical and engineering support to the project.
The project has a peak capacity of 2 megawatts and a duration of 8 megawatt hours, or enough to power about 1,000 homes for 8 hours. The project is located in Spotsylvania County and will provide multiple values to the grid, including:
- Providing resiliency to REC member-owners by temporarily providing electricity at times when the transmission system fails and the substation and the members served by it would otherwise be without power.
- Managing wholesale power costs by dispatching stored energy during peak times when electricity is more expensive for the Cooperative to purchase.
- Delaying the need for substation upgrades.
All of these uses help REC provide its member-owners more resilient, sustainable and affordable energy. Additionally, REC will use this project to learn how additional energy storage projects can be deployed on its system in the future.