Standard Solar has installed an energy storage system co-located with a 402 kW photovoltaic array at Konterra's corporate headquarters in Laurel, Md., creating a commercial-scale micro-grid. The project, financed by the Kingdon Gould Jr. family and supported through a Maryland Energy Administration grant, is scheduled to be operational by the fall.
‘Widespread implementation of grid-connected energy storage systems is key to solar PV becoming a mainstream energy supplier,’ says Standard Solar CEO Tony Clifford. ‘Not only does [the micro-grid] provide backup power to Konterra, it also supports grid integrity and allows for participation in ancillary markets for electricity.’
Standard Solar says the system can enhance grid reliability by helping balance the grid through frequency regulation, volt-ampere reactive compensation and demand response services.
