In a recent webinar Bob Magyar, senior business development executive for VARTA Storage Group, and Mark Iannucci, founder of Emergency Management Consulting and Training, discussed the state of battery storage in the U.S. Here’s a recap of their Q&A with listeners. You can watch the full webinar here.
Kathie Zipp: What considerations would you recommend for adding battery storage to an existing residential solar-PV system?
Bob Magyar: The primary consideration for adding battery storage to an existing PV system is to make sure that the inverter is properly sized to the PV system. If you put a 6.8 or 7-kW battery storage inverter onto a 10-kW system you’re going to produce more electricity than the inverter and the batteries are sized to take, shortening their lifespan. If a customer is interested in battery storage and has a 7-kW system, adding a 5 or 7-kW storage system would work. However, if they have a bigger system, you’re going to need a bigger size inverter.
KZ: What parts of the country do you see battery storage taking off?
BM: According to our research—anywhere in the country that is experiencing more extreme weather or where you see an electric utility that might be struggling to keep up with its infrastructure is prime for battery storage. Here in the Northeast, some of the smaller utilities are forced to battle again and again as summer and winter storms come through and hardwood trees keep tearing up the grid. Many of us know the same situation exists in the Midwest. The demand response situation is fairly universal throughout the United States: Eastern Massachusetts through Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia and other high-density populations such as Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth. Probably the most advanced market is California and Hawaii where government programs are really pushing the use of storage.
KZ: I understand that labeling PV systems can be helpful for first responders. Where would contractors get these labels? Are there any requirements for how they are applied?
Mark Iannucci: Yes, once the installers get manufacturer recommendations they can go to different local municipalities and receive a blown-up label that they can apply. Whether it’s a label that’s applied to the outside of the building, inside or downstairs, local governments can come to a common agreement on where is best for emergency management response.
BM: I’d like to add that there are a lot of good sources for labeling online. If you search “battery storage labels” or “PV solar labels,” a number of sources will sell individual labels, as well as packs. Mark has the right focus: it’s really going to depend on what’s required by the local municipality.
KZ: What are the requirements for venting hydrogen generation from the batteries?
BM: There are two types of lead-acid batteries: flooded and valve-regulated. The flooded battery is older and has to be watered regularly. It has ventilation caps and will give off hydrogen gas. A valve-regulated battery has caps that turn the hydrogen back into water. In other words, the battery is self-watering, which may be a large consideration when you’re working with a non-integrated system. Obviously, you want ventilation in terms of the batteries themselves, as well as the overall installation. Typically, manufacturers are already aware of the ventilation systems. A number of the fully-integrated systems have forced air ventilation with valve-regulated batteries, which removes any possibility of hydrogen buildup inside the cabinet and keeps the system cool. The inverters have a certain level of resistance. If you have a fully-integrated system, look for a system that has forced ventilation. If you have a non-integrated system, pay attention to the type of lead acid battery, and vent accordingly.
KZ: Do you have any tips about how to work with first responders?
MI: Being well-informed and better educated helps the fire service be more confident. Most local governments will get involved when the systems become more prevalent. When installers start to place these systems they’ll know what the fire department wants, whether it’s labeling or something else. This will make the first responders’ jobs easier. Computers can help with indexing housing on dispatch systems. Anything that can give responders additional information makes their job better. As we like to say in the fire service, “the only surprise for us is no surprise at all.”
