Inside the pack
4 August 2021
Amongst key sustainability challenges is determining which solution is the most appropriate for a particular customer’s site, but all too often users have unrealistic expectations.
Therefore something of an education process has to be undertaken in terms of the results that can be reasonably expected and the optimum ways of using equipment like battery packs to store electricity on site.
“Some suppliers made unrealistic claims several years ago when the first battery storage systems became available,” said Chris Archer, managing director of BGG (UK) which distributes Bruno generators and related products.
“Users had the wrong impression that a battery pack rated at an equivalent of, say, 6kW could be operated just like the 6kW diesel machine that they were used to running virtually all day long.
“Site managers and hire negotiators need to discuss what the exact load profile is going to be during the course of the day and night when people are working.”
The basic concept is to have a battery pack connected to a backup generator, the latter running only as required. The battery might also be topped up by solar or wind power.
“Traditionally, a site might have had a 300kVA or 500kVA diesel generator running constantly,” said Chris. “But at night it might be powering only a welfare cabin, some light and security cameras.
“This meant the generator ran for much of the time with only a light loading, which causes issues. Battery units like BGG’s Enerpack models (above) can supply power for the low-demand periods, with the generator only running as required for peak loads.”
Enerpack units are available with nominal storage capacities of from 5.3kWh to 72.15kWh in single phase and from 30kWh to 720kWh in three phase. The batteries have a working life of more than 6,000 charge cycles.
Chris says that an essential area of operation is the battery management system (BMS) which coordinates the performance of each cell within the pack. A Bruno group business, Archimede Energia, specialises in this technology.
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