Tesla is promoting its massive energy storage megapack that have been installed in Soldotna. The Tesla Megapack, or what Homer Electric Association calls the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), stores energy for the grid reliably and safely, eliminating the need for gas peaker plants and helping avoid outages. Each unit can store over 3 MWh of energy – which is enough energy to power an average of 3,600 homes for one hour.
HEA’s board members wanted the company to increase its renewable energy efforts. The new battery energy storage system will be used to balance system demands with its greater ability to deliver or receive energy (up to 46.5 MW per hour). It also allows base loaded thermal units to be run more efficiently while allowing for increased integration of utility scale non-dispatchable renewable energy sources (i.e., wind and solar).
37 modular batteries (megapacks) were delivered to the Soldotna Generation and Substation Facility, according to Brad Janorschke, who told KSRM in October:
“We are excited, in fact, the batteries are installed over next to our Soldotna Generation Plant. They are Tesla megapacks. 46 and a half megawatt batteries. Very large batteries for our system. You are right when you talk about reliability and keeping the lights on, very important on the generation side where it really is attached to the transmission system. It will not prevent our members from experiencing outages on the distribution line, for example when a tree falls on the line, but you are spot on when you talk about saving fuel. Our natural gas. That’s one of the things, the attributes, the batteries will bring to the system. We are pretty excited about it. they should be online later this month as we’re working with a team from Tesla to make sure they integrate appropriately with our control system.”
The aim for the installation of the 37-unit 46 MW system is to increase renewable energy capacity along the Kenai Peninsula, reducing reliance on gas turbines and helping prevent outages. According to Tesla, the megapack is one of the safest battery storage products of its kind as units undergo extensive fire testing and includes integrated safety systems, specialized monitoring software and 24/7 support.
