NREL is working with Xcel Energy to test the storage of wind energy in batteries. This is the first installation of a battery as a direct wind energy storage device in the United States and is important for demonstrating the capability and economic potential of large-scale renewable energy coupled with energy storage.
The test site is located at a wind farm near Luverne, Minnesota. Xcel Energy is conducting the Wind2Battery project in order to evaluate the potential of large-scale battery storage technology to:
- Effectively shift wind energy from off-peak to on-peak availability
- Operate the system most economically for next-day forecasts
- Make wind energy consistent and available around the clock, while providing key grid ancillary services and being cost effective.
NREL assisted on the project by building a detailed model of the battery energy storage system. This model, which was validated against the actual battery, is used to assist operators in determining how the energy storage system can be most effectively utilized each day. NREL also created Web applications that allow researchers and utilities to interact with the battery model, and to access current and historical electrical data collected from the actual battery installation.