APS Brings Battery Storage to Rural Arizona
- Arizona
Public Service (APS) will install two battery storage systems in
rural Punkin Center, Arizona, making it one of the first electricity
companies in the nation to use batteries in place of traditional
infrastructure. The two 4-megawatt-hour (MWh) Advancion®
batteries are made by AES Energy Storage. Construction on the project
will begin in fall 2017.
“This project is a crucial step in the right direction for Arizona’s energy future,” said Scott Bordenkircher, APS’s Director of Transmission and Distribution Technology Innovation and Integration. “Over the next 15 years, APS has plans to add 500 megawatts of storage capacity. This project is indicative of the type of smart grid APS envisions for customers, one that enables people to have more technology in their own homes. ”
Currently, APS is using batteries to store excess solar power for use after the sun goes down, for storing energy to use at peak times and for other functions such as voltage support . This project is unique in that the primary function of the battery is basic grid operation. To reliably serve new customers in the growing community of Punkin Center, APS was faced with rebuilding 20 miles of power lines over rough terrain. A review of the community’s needs showed that adding battery storage would provide these additional benefits at a similar cost to rebuilding the lines.
“We are watching as the prices come down on battery technology,” said Bordenkircher. “Thoughtful implementation of battery storage is key to its future success. For a community like Punkin Center, the rural location, reduced implementation costs and added technological benefits make it the perfect candidate for this technology. ”
The batteries will increase power reliability to serve the community of 600 residents, located roughly 90 minutes northeast of downtown Phoenix. The battery project will be built with the capability to add energy capacity as the need arises over the next five to 10 years. The pair of 4-MWh battery storage systems are expected to be operational in early 2018.
This is not APS’s first foray into battery storage. Last December, APS installed two AES battery storage units in the West Valley as part of the Solar Partner Program.
APS serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is the Southwest’s foremost producer of clean, safe and reliable electricity. Using a balanced energy mix that is nearly 50 percent carbon-free, APS has one of the country’s cleanest energy portfolios, including both Palo Verde Generating Station and renewable energy. The company is also a proven leader in introducing technology and services that offer customers choice and control over their energy consumption. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
ContactsAPS
Media Contact:
Annie DeGraw, (602) 250-4370
or
Analyst Contact:
Stefanie Layton, (602) 250-4541
Website:
aps.com/newsroom
Video link
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One of the first projects of its kind in the country
PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Instead of rebuilding about 20 miles of transmission and distribution
poles and wires, Arizona
Public Service (APS) will install two battery storage systems in
rural Punkin Center, Arizona, making it one of the first electricity
companies in the nation to use batteries in place of traditional
infrastructure. The two 4-megawatt-hour (MWh) Advancion®
batteries are made by AES Energy Storage. Construction on the project
will begin in fall 2017.
“This project is a crucial step in the right direction for Arizona’s
energy future,” said Scott Bordenkircher, APS’s Director of Transmission
and Distribution Technology Innovation and Integration. “Over the next
15 years, APS has plans to add 500 megawatts of storage capacity. This
project is indicative of the type of smart grid APS envisions for
customers, one that enables people to have more technology in their own
homes. ”
Currently, APS is using batteries to store excess solar power for use
after the sun goes down, for storing energy to use at peak times and for
other functions such as voltage support . This project is unique in that
the primary function of the battery is basic grid operation. To reliably
serve new customers in the growing community of Punkin Center, APS was
faced with rebuilding 20 miles of power lines over rough terrain. A
review of the community’s needs showed that adding battery storage would
provide these additional benefits at a similar cost to rebuilding the
lines.
“We are watching as the prices come down on battery technology,” said
Bordenkircher. “Thoughtful implementation of battery storage is key to
its future success. For a community like Punkin Center, the rural
location, reduced implementation costs and added technological benefits
make it the perfect candidate for this technology. ”
The batteries will increase power reliability to serve the community of
600 residents, located roughly 90 minutes northeast of downtown Phoenix.
The battery project will be built with the capability to add energy
capacity as the need arises over the next five to 10 years. The pair of
4-MWh battery storage systems are expected to be operational in early
2018.
This is not APS’s first foray into battery storage. Last December, APS
installed two
AES battery storage units in the West Valley as part of the Solar
Partner Program.
APS
serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is
the Southwest’s foremost producer of clean, safe and reliable
electricity. Using a balanced energy mix that is nearly 50 percent
carbon-free, APS has one of the country’s cleanest energy portfolios,
including both Palo Verde Generating Station and renewable energy. The
company is also a proven leader in introducing technology and services
that offer customers choice and control over their energy consumption.
With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle
West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
Contacts
APS
Media Contact:
Annie DeGraw, (602) 250-4370
or
Analyst
Contact:
Stefanie Layton, (602) 250-4541
Website:
aps.com/newsroom
Video
link
