In support of our 2035 Sustainability Goals, we’re deploying new energy storage technologies to help ensure grid reliability when adding more renewable energy to our system. Our goal is to reduce carbon intensity by 65% by 2035, using 2005 data as our baseline. These new technologies will take us another step closer to meeting our goal.
New storage technology
Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is a technology that, when charged using renewable energy, enables the stored energy to power our grid even after the sun goes down or when the wind stops blowing, reducing our carbon emissions. LDES technologies can store and discharge energy for up to 10 hours, compared to four hours from the lithium-ion batteries SRP is currently deploying. Having longer-duration storage increases safety and system reliability. We’ve selected technology that is expected to be scalable and long-lasting.
Here’s why we’d add this technology to our system:
- Enable the addition of more renewable energy to our grid
- Stabilize the grid
- Evaluate the performance of promising new energy storage technology
How it works
When power is generated from renewable sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, it needs to be used immediately or be stored. That’s where battery storage systems come in. In cases when renewables aren’t generating power, such as after the sun sets or on cloudy days, we can tap into the stored energy. That’s why having substantial backup energy storage is essential. With the expansion of renewable energy sources, we need to expand the corresponding storage capacity.
Piloting new storage
In collaboration with emerging energy storage companies, we’re piloting LDES to assess energy storage alternatives to lithium-ion batteries. The pilot project may store enough energy to power about 1,125 homes for 10 hours per day at a lower cost in comparison to lithium-ion batteries. These technologies offer the additional benefits of eliminating the need for mining lithium and reducing risks of fire and other safety hazards.
We are planning on formally testing these technologies with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to see how they perform in our hot environment and evaluate whether we should develop similar storage projects on a larger scale in the future.
The new storage is expected to be operational at the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center by the end of 2025.
For details about SRP’s 2023 non-inverter based energy storage resources request for information, visit our website.
Help advance solar
SRP customers can offset up to 100% of their electricity usage at home with solar power and support the expansion of utility-scale facilities.