The six energy storage systems were installed in substations in both urban and rural locations as part of the Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), a three-year smart grid project in the UK. The largest of the six NEC energy storage systems — a 2.5MW, 5MWh GSS™ in Darlington — is located in an urban industrial area, while one of the smallest, a 50kW GSS™, is located in a residential area in Wooler.

“Part of the challenge of installing energy storage in these areas was the wide diversity in the various sites,” said Ian Lloyd, CLNR technology manager at Northern Powergrid. “We needed battery systems that could fit into a range of electricity distribution substations, so it was important to have a very flexible battery design to accommodate our very different locations.”

To fit the needs of the project at four of the six sites, NEC Energy Solutions supplied lithium-ion based grid battery systems packaged in a variety of enclosures, including standard 40-foot containers and smaller customized enclosures. The last two locations required energy storage systems installed directly into pre-existing buildings, and serve to demonstrate the flexibility of NEC Energy Solutions’ modular and scalable designs.

“This project enables distribution network operators in the UK to implement new technologies designed to increase energy efficiency and support the adoption of clean energy,” said Bud Collins, CEO of NEC Energy Solutions.

Energy storage is a key component of the CLNR smart grid project, and will be used to help integrate more solar and wind energy into the UK’s electricity network.