A battery storage demonstration project already providing a carbon-free source of electricity to California’s grid is about to be tested to see how well it can work on microgrids.
Located on a bluff at a San Diego Gas & Electric substation in Bonita, the energy storage project uses vanadium redox flow battery technology that stores electricity when the grid has excess supply and then discharges the energy when the power system needs it.
For the record:
9:27 AM, Jan. 28, 2021This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jonathan Woldemariam’s last name.
In 2019, the pilot project became the first battery of its kind to be connected to the state’s grid via the California Independent System Operator, which manages the electric system for about 80 percent of the state. The flow batteries in Bonita provide 2 megawatts and 8 megawatt-hours of energy to California’s grid enough to power about 1,000 homes for up to four hours.