EnBW plans to always include battery storage in solar parks in future

10/17/2023 | Print view

The battery storage system for the solar park in Bruchsal, Germany is delivered and lifted onto the foundation with a heavy-duty crane. - © EnBW — © EnBW

The battery storage system for the solar park in Bruchsal, Germany is delivered and lifted onto the foundation with a heavy-duty crane.

Energy group EnBW will always use battery storage in its solar parks in future. This means that electricity buffers will be a central component of the group's expansion strategy for solar energy in the future. Another advantage is that the power output of the plants can be better utilised.

There will only be exceptions to this rule if local conditions do not allow it, EnBW announces. The battery storage system has now been delivered to the solar park near Bruchsal, north of Karlsruhe. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in December 2023 and open in spring 2024. With an installed output of around four megawatts, the solar park will mathematically supply more than 1,500 households with electricity. The battery storage has a capacity of 3.5 megawatt hours. This corresponds to the average storage capacity of almost 100 EVs.

Efficiency of the solar parks is increased

"This is a technologically important step for us to further increase the potential of renewable energies in the power supply. The electricity generated can be fed into the grid more flexibly and better distributed throughout the day," explains Michael Class, who heads the Portfolio Development department at EnBW. Battery storage systems can fulfil different functions.

This can range from covering the park's own needs to providing control power, smoothing and shifting feed-in. This will be the case with the plant in Bruchsal. On the one hand, when grid utilisation is high, the feed-in of the park can be reduced. On the other hand, when demand is particularly high, additional quantities of electricity can be called up at short notice.

Retrofitting existing plants in sight

"In addition to the developments on the storage market, the findings from our previous battery storage projects have made this step possible," Class explains. EnBW already operates battery storage at several generation plants, such as the Gottesgabe and Alttrebbin solar parks in Brandenburg or Brandscheid in Rhineland-Palatinate.

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"The experience gained was decisive for the development of standard models for the storage units as well as for the definition of the various deployment scenarios." In addition to the standard combination of new solar parks with battery storage systems, EnBW is also examining the retrofitting of existing plants and the future equipping of wind farms with appropriate batteries. (nhp/mfo)