Every successful project starts with a framework. A vision statement. A blueprint. The staff of Engineered Systems is proud to present The Blueprint — a monthly Q&A interview with HVACR engineering’s leading voices. These one-on-one discussions examine the trade’s history, current industry trends, the factors shaping the sector’s future, and more.

In the most recent installment, Ebru Arslan, global senior business development manager, Honeywell Process Solutions, sat down with Herb Woerpel, editor-in-chief, Engineered Systems, to discuss the company’s latest battery energy storage system (BESS) solutions.

Engineered Systems: Can you talk about the importance of the control system when it comes to arbitrage?

Arslan: The needs of each customer are different. Utilities, for example, need support to meet local regulations. Locational base controls, which control the load coming to the grid, allow them to balance the grid. So, grid balancing is the main problem of the utilities, because grid infrastructure is aging, and congestion is a major problem. That load can be potentially damaging to the system, as the load is not suitable for the capacity. So, congestion relief is very critical for utility customers.

Disaster recovery backup power is also important. As you know, in Texas last year, there was a huge blackout due to the weather conditions. Because of that, many people were unable to use electricity. As a result, community-type battery storage installations are growing in popularity, as they can be used like microgrids with BESS units. It would be difficult to install small battery storage units on every home, so this community-type approach is becoming desirable in multiunit residential settings.

Engineered Systems: What are the most attractive benefits BESSs offer customers?

Arslan: For commercial and industrial customers, it’s important to manage peak shaving. This is one of the most important use cases that we apply for our customers, especially when they’re experiencing high electricity bills. Using the battery energy during peak time can help lower their electricity bills.

Another approach is carbon reduction. If you change the diesel generators on the site with one BESS unit, then you will be able to decrease the carbon footprint because you're going use the BESS in place of diesel generators.

Everybody has sustainability goals. Generating energy on-site can help customers achieve these benchmarks. In general, diesel generators have efficiency problems. They have to reach at least 70% or 80% of their operating level to generate electricity in terms of the fuel consumption, when all that is needed is 30%. A lot of fuel is being used to reach the target percentage — a lot of excess energy is being wasted.

When the electricity is gone, the BESS units can come to life in a second, while it takes time for the generators to come online. In the case of a blackout, most BESSs can provide support for up to four hours.

Read the entire interview on Engineered Systems’ website.