Implementing energy storage initiatives to develop renewable energies and micro-grids is one of the 10 strong commitments taken by Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation
“We are living a very exciting time where new technologies enable us to completely rethink the way we deal with energy in a far more sustainable and efficient manner,” stated Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO at Schneider Electric France, before the opening of COP21.
Reducing global warming means transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energies, while fully harnessing the potential of renewable energies calls for new ways of storing energy. Up to now, electricity grids have not enabled new energy sources to be integrated since the available wind or solar power has not necessarily matched consumption at any given time. The only solution for mitigating the risk of power cuts was to use expensive and inefficient back-up systems, such as fossil-fuel (especially oil) generators, as has been the case at server farms.
Only an efficient, scalable form of energy storage could meet this challenge, providing energy reserves for times when electricity is most needed. This is why Schneider Electric , the global specialist in energy management and automation, has launched EcoBlade, a scalable energy storage system for domestic, industrial or commercial environments and for electricity grids.
EcoBlade is a fully flexible energy storage system powered by Li-ion batteries. EcoBlade consists of blades the size of a 30-inch flat screen, weighing under 25 kg. Each blade contains a smart connected battery module and is ready to use in standalone mode. In a home equipped with solar energy converters from solar panels, for example, individuals can use the energy generated by an EcoBlade for personal consumption or resale on a micro-grid.
The blades may also be used in racks connected to grids, data centers, buildings or secondary electric power stations with much larger storage needs. At the highest level, the blades can be integrated into containers to provide multi-MWh and complementary energy management services for the entire grid. The fully scalable EcoBlade system is quick to implement and easy to maintain. Each EcoBlade is integrated into the wide ecosystem of Schneider Electric solutions for electricity, relying in particular on the Struxureware software suite of Cloud-based integrated service modules. To store and use energy, Struxureware collects and manages energy data, optimizing energy performance across the entire chain, from the source (a solar panel or wind turbine) to storage and consumption.
EcoBlade is already a reality. The Venteea project in the Champagne-Ardennes region in northeast France, is already demonstrating its use in smart grids, aiming to integrate renewable energy sources in the best possible conditions. There, wind farms are linked to a medium-voltage distribution grid, including a secondary power station with a 20 MVA transformer, six 20 kV feeders and 130 secondary sub-stations serving 3,200 clients. Two wind turbines are connected to the grid with a generating capacity of 12 MV (for a dedicated charger) and 6 MV (for a non-dedicated charger).
In Corsica, a second project was launched at the beginning of June 2015 with two solar farms. Schneider Electric provides 1 MW conversion containers for each installation. The project will generate 1,300 MWh per installation annually to meet the electricity needs of 400 homes.
