GLOBAL: Electrification and hybrid solutions are now booming. One of the first pioneers was the Dutch based energy storage manufacturer Alfen B.V., which has used Danfoss power conversion equipment since the early days. Alfen is a system integrator of smart plug and play energy storage solutions (ESS). Equipped with an integrated microgrid and energy management system (MEMS), Alfen systems are suited to both on- and off-grid containerized solutions with stackable units with capacity up to 100 MW.
Alfen and Danfoss Drives have installed numerous ESS solutions around the globe. Typically, these ESS sites are located off-grid, supporting production processes in parts of the world without stable electricity grids or powering temporary sites such as festivals. Other common applications are load balancing and energy trading. Let’s take a closer look at some of these projects.
Czech Republic: The Czech solar PV company Solar Global selected Alfen to supply a 1 MW energy storage system connected to its Prakšice solar PV farm. The system was delivered in the fourth quarter of 2017 as the first large scale storage system in the Czech Republic.
Prepared for the future with storage
Solar Global develops and services solar photovoltaic (PV) farms and rooftop PV installations, and currently has some 100 MW capacity under service. As Solar Global wants to play an important role at the forefront of the energy transition, it is investing in an innovative energy storage solutionthat initially will be used for energy trading. As the local market further develops, the system is also ready for other applications, such as providing grid stability services.
This project is supported by EU Regional Development Fund.
The Netherlands: A project in which a rapid charging station for electric vehicles was equipped with solar panels and a local energy storage battery system was started in 2016. Project partners Alfen (energy storage systems), Stedin (grid operator) and MisterGreen (EV lease) have evaluated this pilot to be a success: peak loads decreased, maximum flexibility in offering variable price rates was attained, and the charging station itself became even more sustainable.
The number of electric vehicles is rapidly expanding, creating a need for more charging stations. In 2013, MisterGreen built the rapid charging station ‘Haarrijn’ at the A2 highway between Amsterdam and Utrecht. The pilot station with solar panels and local energy storage was commissioned in 2016. These solar panels provide the charging station with energy. If no vehicles are connected, the generated energy is diverted into the energy storage system, to be used when electric vehicles do connect to charge. This enables maximum usage of sustainably generated energy. Should the solar panels and battery run out of energy, the system can of course always fall back on the central grid.
Draw upon expertise from Danfoss to optimize energy storage solutions on board vessels, and shore power supplies for quieter and cleaner harbours.
Balancing supply and consumption is a complex task in a distributed smart grid, and this is where Danfoss supports you with certified power conversion solutions, saving you time, cost and effort in testing and certification.
Air- and liquid-cooled drives specifically designed for smart grid, energy storage, power conversion and marine energy management applications.
AUSTRALIA: In arid outback Australia the borewater pumped up from underground is so hot, it needs cooling before you can drink it. The town of Winton in Queensland has turned this to its advantage by converting heat from the bore water to electricity. A geothermal power station recovers energy during the borewater cooling process then uses it to generate power for the local community, with the help of VACON®drives.
An institute in Kamień Śląski, Poland, is pioneering climate neutral energy consumption. Danfoss helps store electricity from the sun. Savings on electricity bill and CO2 emissions are the main drivers.
Electrification and hybrid solutions are now booming. One of the first pioneers was the Dutch based energy storage manufacturer Alfen B.V., which has used Danfoss power conversion equipment since the early days.
Electrification and hybrid solutions are now booming. The German energy storage manufacturer QINOUS GmbH was one of the first Danfoss customers developing these solutions long ago, before this was a “hot topic” in the energy industry.
DENMARK: The FlexHeat district heating plant at Copenhagen’s Nordhavn harbor emits 315 fewer tonnes per annum of CO2 than the LPG gas-based alternative.