Battery Energy Storage System Offers Higher Power Density, Lower Installation Costs
The Honeywell Ionic battery energy storage system uses a modular design to provide higher power density, reduced installation costs, and better performance for renewable plant operators.
Honeywell has launched Ionic, a battery energy storage system (BESS) designed to provide higher energy density and lower installation costs in renewable energy storage applications.
Honeywell Ionic battery energy storage system. Image used courtesy of Honeywell
Based on lithium-ion battery cell technology, the platform uses a modular approach to offer a compact energy storage solution that, according to Honeywell, has more energy density than comparable solutions.
The storage solution incorporates Honeywell’s Experion Energy Control System, a chemistry-agnostic battery management system (BMS) that allows operators to improve system performance by reducing downtime, managing periods of peak demand, and forming virtual power plants.
Battery Energy Storage Systems
As global economies look to electrify their industrial base and diversify energy sources away from carbon-based fuels, renewable power (wind, solar) plays an increased role in energy production.
But renewable sources are intermittent by nature, so to meet the on-demand power needs of loads, energy storage systems help match periods of peak supply and demand over time.
As the name suggests, a BESS is a large battery system capable of storing and delivering grid-scale energy through managed charge (energy from the renewable source) and discharge (power to loads) cycles.
A BESS can be constructed from any number of battery chemistries and technologies, including lithium-ion or larger flow battery chemistries for longer-duration storage.
Battery energy storage system for renewable power. Image used courtesy of Honeywell
Meeting Corporate Carbon Goals
With heightened public awareness of the need to contain carbon emissions, companies are now responding not only to the demands of regulators and tax policy but the demands of their stakeholders – customers and investors.
Corporate executives are realizing that an effective sustainability strategy is good for branding and can directly impact the bottom line.
Renewable energy storage system. Image used courtesy of Moxa
For example, Promega, a Wisconsin-based biotechnology manufacturer, committed to using 100% renewable electricity for its manufacturing by 2025, partly enabled by on-site renewable power production.
Honeywell Ionic is designed for commercial and industrial customers looking for localized renewable production to reduce their reliance on grid electricity often sourced from carbon-based fuels.
Ionic is also designed for independent power producers who want to offer their customer base an increased mix of carbon-free electricity.
Efficient Design Reduces Installation Costs
Grid-scale energy storage systems can be large, making them difficult to maneuver and install. With a compact, modular design, the Ionic system can be deployed with a standard forklift. Combined with easier site preparation, this translates to lower installation costs.
The modular design allows for Ionic system deployments ranging from a single 700-kilowatt hours (kWh) module to multi-module installations up to 300 MWh, with operators able to add capacity as system requirements evolve.
The battery system can deliver rated discharge power for up to two hours and is designed for a battery stack operating voltage of 1500 VDC.
Liquid cooling helps stabilize temperatures across the battery through charge and discharge cycles, ensuring safe operation and extending the life of the BESS.
Ionic will add to Honeywell’s 20- and 40-foot containerized BESS solutions portfolio.
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Image used courtesy of Honeywell
Other Ionic Features
Ionic modules are designed to accommodate lithium-ion cells from various battery suppliers to ensure a secure supply base.
The BMS used for Ionic is designed to accommodate different battery types and chemistries (other than lithium-ion) to accommodate future advances in battery technology or system augmentations.
For industrial customers, in addition to its role as a storage system for renewable energy production, Honeywell Ionic can also be used as a backup power source.
