Xcel Energy soon will begin testing
a cutting-edge technology to store wind energy in
batteries. It will be the first use of the technology
in the United States for direct wind energy storage.
Integrating variable wind and solar
power production with the needs of the power grid
is an ongoing issue for the utility industry. Xcel
Energy will begin testing a one-megawatt battery-storage
technology to demonstrate its ability to store wind
energy and move it to the electricity grid when
needed. Fully charged, the battery could power 500
homes for over 7 hours.
"Energy storage is key to expanding
the use of renewable energy," said Dick Kelly, Xcel
Energy Chairman, President and CEO. "This technology
has the potential to reduce the impact caused by
the variability and limited predictability of wind
energy generation. As the nation's leader in distributing
wind energy, this will be very important to both
us and our customers."
Xcel Energy has signed a contract
to purchase a battery from NGK Insulators Ltd. that
will be an integral part of a project. The sodium-sulfur
battery is commercially available and versions of
this technology are already being used in Japan
and in a few US applications, but this is the first
U.S. application of the battery as a direct wind
energy storage device.
The 20 50-kilowatt battery modules
will be roughly the size of two semi trailers and
weigh approximately 80 tons. They will be able to
store about 7.2 megawatt-hours of electricity, with
a charge/discharge capacity of one megawatt. When
the wind blows, the batteries are charged. When
the wind calms down, the batteries supplement the
power flow.
The project will take place in Luverne,
Minn., about 30 miles east of Sioux Falls, S.D.,
with the battery installation beginning this spring
adjacent and connected to a nearby 11-megawatt wind
farm owned by Minwind Energy, LLC. S&C Electric
Company will install the battery and all associated
interconnection components. The battery is expected
to go on-line in October 2008.
Partners in the project with Xcel
Energy include the University of Minnesota, the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Great
Plains Institute and Minwind Energy, LLC. Xcel Energy
is testing emerging technology and energy storage
devices as part of its overall Smart Grid strategy,
which modernizes and upgrades the grid to allow
for easier integration of renewable energy sources.
The project has been selected to receive
a $1 million grant from Minnesota's Renewable Development
Fund, pending Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
approval this spring.
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major
U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated
operations in eight Western and Midwestern states.
Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of
energy-related products and services to 3.3 million
electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas
customers through its regulated operating companies.
Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis.
More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.
SOURCE: Xcel Energy
