Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are growing in demand as the market moves to integrate more green energy into the grid. These sources are intermittent by nature, and the more intermittency, the more challenges to energy security. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) provide flexible, uninterrupted power storage solutions for such intermittent energy, to help address these challenges.

SizeRight

PSC developed a tool that quickly and efficiently optimizes BESS sizing to ensure the right level of investment in the battery. Known as SizeRight, it firms intermittent generation output by performing an optimal allocation of resources in compliance with energy dispatch and reserve requirements, in accordance with the grid code. The objective is to firm the intermittent energy output using a battery system to provide a minimum of 95% dispatch compliance.

PSC combines SizeRight’s mathematical modeling and simulation capabilities with the company’s expertise in renewable generation forecasting to maximize BESS return on investment (ROI) without overbuilding.

“How much of the battery size is required to firm a large and intermittent energy generation capacity? What else can be done to ensure the battery size is not larger than necessary?” said Tri. “We consider these and other issues when determining optimal sizing for battery storage. 200-megawatt hours rather than 300-megawatt hours could mean a difference of many millions of dollars.”

Deployment

PSC deployed SizeRight for a large-scale solar farm on a remote island to the south of Singapore in the Pacific Ocean, one of the most unpredictable tropical climates and conditions for solar forecasting. The tool supported the efforts of PSC’s experts in battery optimization and power networks in close collaboration with our client, an energy and urban development company in Singapore.

PSC assisted the client in delivering dynamic system and power quality studies for the energization of its first large-scale floating solar photovoltaic (PV) project, Singapore’s Tengeh Reservoir Floating Solar Farm. The successful delivery has led to PSC supporting planning activities surrounding the client’s long-term renewables portfolio.

Singapore pledged to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions energy supply by about 2050. Its approach to achieving net-zero anticipates that solar power generation and BESS will become more affordable and efficient, according to the Energy 2050 Committee Report, commissioned by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) earlier this year.^[1]

As part of this approach, EMA issued two Requests for Proposal (RFP) to appoint companies to import and sell up to 4 GW of electricity in Singapore via new interconnectors between Singapore and source countries for delivery by 2035.  The RFP requires a quarterly load factor of 75% of energy capacity to be fully available at all times.

In the equatorial region around Singapore, a solar PV power plant can be configured to produce at 45-50% load factor during the daytime (7am-7pm) with support from BESS. EMA’s 4 GW import requirement (about 30% of load) will potentially displace 30% of baseload capacity.

“We believe EMA would possibly add 30% of the displaced base load capacity on top of the usual load factor for a solar PV plant as an import requirement to ensure no disruption of power supply,” said Tri.

Leveraging learnings from current and recent projects, PSC is utilizing SizeRight to provide initial estimates for EMA’s initiative, as part of its role in advising the client about the preparation needed to meet the RFP requirements.

To learn more about optimizing your renewable energy resources, read our SizeRight capability statement and please reach out to us at [email protected].

^[1]Charting the Energy Transition to 2050, p. 40: “Maximise Solar Deployment and Use ESS to Manage Solar Intermittency,” Energy 2050 Committee Report, commissioned by Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA), March 2022.