Evaluation of grid-tied energy storage opportunity for the commercial and industrial sector in the U.S.

摘要

Solar installations in the U.S. have grown from 2 GW in 2010 to 25 GW in 2015, fuelled primarily by falling system costs and the extension of federal tax incentives. The economics of distributed solar are at risk as the industry continues its unprecedented growth. Distributed solar is unable to provide power during peak hours, which typically occurs in the evening time. Furthermore, utility companies are considering netmetering and electricity rate reforms to meet peak hour demand and to better incorporate distributed solar into the electricity mix. There are market opportunities in energy storage, particularly in the Commercial and Industrial building sectors that typically have demand charges constituting over 50% of the electricity bill. M+W Group surveyed the energy storage market for demand charge reduction and for grid-services. Furthermore, M+W characterized electricity demand from an industrial facility. The future goal is to determine the value proposition for solar and storage on industrial facilities.