Commercial Solar Panel Battery Storage in Denver, CO

Storage Sweet Spot

Energy storage systems (ESS) are designed to provide independent energy. Battery-less storage systems are unable to provide these savings on their own. The purpose of each application will dictate what type of batteries best suit your commercial business in the Denver metro area. Some batteries are better if you would like to go off-the-grid completely. However, some batteries are better suited for grid connected systems. To avoid time-of-use (TOU) charges with a grid connected system, batteries can be tailored to extend your solar window down into the evening hours and provide back-up to some loads during a grid outage.

• PV Self-Consumption

  Minimizing export of electricity generated by behind-the-meter photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize the financial benefit of solar PV in areas with utility rate structures that are unfavorable to distributed PV (e.g., non-export tariffs).

• Time-of-Use (TOU) Bill Management

  By minimizing electricity purchases during peak electricity-consumption hours when time-of-use (TOU) rates are highest and shifting these purchase to periods of lower rates, behind-the-meter customers can use energy storage systems to reduce their bill.

• Demand Charge Reduction

  In the event of demand charges, energy storage is deployed to shave the load curve to mitigate high energy charges.

• Backup Power

  In the event of grid failure, energy storage paired with a local generator can provide backup power at multiple scales.

The Hybrid Storage Solution

What is a hybrid system?

Hybrid systems are a grid-connected storage system. They go by several names, such as energy storage systems (ESS) or solar-backup. All of these are basically described as a range of solar storage solutions for your commercial business in the Denver metro area. However, in certain instances, they will differ on how they are coupled, or which battery technology is used. Though the thing they all have in common, they are designed to give you a level of control and independent energy.

How much storage do I need?

There is not a straight answer on how much storage you might need at your Denver commercial business until some questions are answered:

• Are you comfortable storing the excess energy during the day and use it to offset some evening demand?
• Are you OK with the grid supplying that which was not supplied by your batteries?
• Or are you more comfortable with a storage system that provides enough power for the full night?
• Would you like the system to perform during a power outage?
• Or would you prefer a modular system that can see expansion towards a full back up or even off-the-grid?

What's your storage sweet spot?

Every storage solution out there is designed for a specific purpose. For example, we have the Lithium-ion Tesla Powerwall that operates at a high voltage versus the Iron Edison or Adara solutions that can operate at the low 12V, 24V and 48V ranges. Furthermore, what type of loads would you be running during storage operation dictates if your system needs to be built with energy or power consumption capabilities. It all boils down to the right technology, for the right application, at the right price.

The Off-Grid Solution

What is an off-grid system?

Off-grid systems are unique because each one is different. Normally, off-grid systems are known as standalone power systems (SAPS). The sole purpose of an off-grid system at your commercial business in the Denver metro area is to provide reliable solar power. Standalone power systems in Denver disconnect from the local utility grid, and are able to store energy for multiple days to supply energy during periods where the Sun is not out and shining bright. Normally, these systems go along with natural gas or propane generators to accommodate high power consumers.

The following steps are needed to a successful off-grid design:

• Load Profile: a detailed study of the loads to be powered by the off-grid systems needs to happen to understand the daily energy demand (Wh) the system will cover.
• Days of Autonomy: how many cloudy days can the system support in a row without Sun?
• System Main Voltage: a system voltage needs to be chosen. This are normally 12V, 24V or 48V.
• Storage Battery Capacity (Ah): after daily energy is calculated and system voltage is chosen, the number of ampere-hours can be obtained to choose the right battery system.
• Solar Panels: after the battery bank size has been calculated, number of solar panels needed are calculated based on winter sun-hours for your specific location.