Walsrode – FREQCON GmbH, a German developer and distributor of renewable energy converter and storage systems, has deployed an energy storage system for the Tallaght Smart Grid Testbed near Dublin, Ireland. The energy storage system, especially designed for the Irish market, combines Maxwell ultracapacitors and lithium-ion batteries to support grid stability, providing fast frequency response.
German Renewables Award 2014 winner FREQCON is the first company to deploy energy storage systems in accordance with Ireland’s DS3 grid standard.
As Ireland works toward its goal of 40 percent renewable energy generation by 2020, the Tallaght Smart Grid Testbed,will demonstrate how a combination of energy storage and smart power electronics can minimize electricity distribution issues and grid instability in an island grid.
The Irish distribution network is essentially an island grid, except for two smaller power lines connecting the grid to Great Britain. Without further grid stabilizing measures, in future a lot of wind farms will need to operate at reduced capacity on days when winds are strong.
“Smart grid projects are a priority in Ireland, and, depending on the local set-up, the grid challenges can vary greatly,” said Dudley Stewart, secretary general of MEGA, the testbed’s operator. “FREQCON’s Microgrid Stabilizer can be customized for individual projects, and the combination of batteries and Maxwell ultracapacitors is a promising solution. We are looking forward to seeing more of these systems deployed in the field in the near future.”
The testbed uses FREQCON’s Microgrid Stabilizer for voltage and frequency stabilization, with a combination of lithium-ion batteries and ultracapacitors for active power support in the grid’s distributed network. The Maxwell ultracapacitors perform fast functions such as frequency response, while the batteries are used for peak shifting and operating reserve.
Norbert Hennchen, CEO of FREQCON, said, “The market for grid-tied energy storage systems is growing, and fast frequency response is a valuable system service to the grid. Ultracapacitors are the ideal technology to do this. Based on our long-standing relationship with Maxwell and our experience with ultracapacitors in pitch systems for wind turbines, we’re bringing this technology to the space of grid stabilization.”
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