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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do BESS and renewable energy work together?

The two systems work in collaboration. In fact, renewable energy without storage is clean energy lost to the site. Many PV systems generate more energy than they need so storing that energy for later use can bring significant advantages to a business.

The batteries can be programmed to charge up when there is excess generation available and then used later to provide power either during peak energy use on site or at times of the day when the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing.

You can read more about this on our recent blog.

2. How does battery energy storage support EV Charging?

Soon, with the mass adoption of electric vehicles, the current grid infrastructure will be overwhelmed.

That is where battery energy storage comes in. Our systems can:

  • Overcome power constraints
  • Decarbonise your EV charging
  • Reduce costs

You can read more about it in our guide which explains exactly how this works.

3. How much energy can you store?

Our current systems have a power rating of 300KW and a capacity of 360KWh. Our battery has enough charge in it to power the average household for over 5 weeks.

Add that the system is built to be modular (i.e., one control system managing several battery units) meaning you can add more storage as your business grows, giving you total flexibility over your site’s energy usage.

Read more about our systems here.

4. What’s the difference between first life and second life battery systems?

Operationally, the systems act in exactly the same way but there’s a world of difference in their carbon footprint. Systems that use brand-new batteries mean that lithium-ion has been mined specifically for their use.

Whereas second life systems are reusing existing batteries making the most out of technology and resources. Second-life systems, therefore, displace the environmental impact of battery production. In addition, when it comes to replacement batteries, replacing the second life battery pack is a lot cheaper than replacing a first life battery pack.

You can read more about our second life philosophy here.

5. How long will a battery last?

We estimate each individual battery will last seven years. The good thing about our systems is that they are built using a rack system, so if we identify any performance issues, we can easily swap and replace them for another.

In addition, our proprietary battery management system gives us data on the battery’s health throughout the day, meaning you are always aware of how your system is performing.

Read more about our second life philosophy here.

6. How is the system maintained? Do our in-house team need specialist skills?

We offer a full monitoring and maintenance package and will ensure your system is running as it should without the need for your team to have any specialist knowledge. Following the installation, the system is handed over to the customer however our technical team continue to monitor the system in the background. Our maintenance package also includes one on-site visit per year to check everything is running as it should.

We also provide a five-year warranty which covers any electrical and mechanical issues, replacement parts and any degradation and replacement of batteries.

Download our definitive guide

Learn more about how battery energy storage systems can work with EV charging.

7. How do you know the batteries have not degraded beyond use?

We work closely with automotive companies who rigorously test their battery packs to prove their quality before they are passed to us for our systems.

We also only work with manufacturers who will share their data and we use this to not only perform our own checks but to continuously monitor their state of health throughout their lives.

At Connected Energy, we have placed significant investment into our control systems which understand the individual make-up of each individual battery. If the system recognises any degradation, the system will send us a notification for us to review.

Learn more about how we work with OEM’s here.

8. Is battery energy storage safe?

One of the additional benefits of using second life batteries in our systems is that we are able to capitalise on the safety systems that automotive manufacturers have heavily invested in. All battery packs are rigorously tested by the manufacturers.

We have also created the gold standard for managing our systems. Our systems have passed intensive energy sector compliance tests and are continuously monitored by our software which can immediately pick up on any small anomaly.

To give our customers peace of mind, our systems also include an integrated fire prevention system that will shut down in the unlikely event of a fire.

Read more about our systems here.

9. Is the BESS installation complicated?

The installation process is simple. To install, we require three elements: a suitable base, an electrical connection, and an internet connection.

The base needs to be a flat, level surface that is of suitable strength to take a 13.5T load. If this is not available, or if the container needs to be raised, then concrete pads may be required.

The electrical installation requires two connections into a local distribution board, a 3 phase power connection (630A breaker), and a single-phase connection for the system ancillaries. We would cover all requirements and suitable locations during the site survey.

Internet connection is required to manage the data that we monitor to drive the efficient monitoring of the system. We would discuss this at a site survey to understand any barriers to connecting to existing internet connections.

On the day of installation, we will have a team on-site to oversee the delivery. The system is delivered by crane so access will be needed.

10. How do I make money from my BESS?

Any customer could use their BESS to provide grid balancing services. This is basically the storing and discharging of the grid to ensure an uninterrupted national supply. The National Grid pays customers for this service.

This can help cover some of the costs of the system. We work with aggregators who can act on behalf of a group of energy storage systems to access revenue on a larger scale.

You can read more about it on our blog which explains exactly how this works.

12. Does a BESS have to be used with PV or wind?

This is a common misconception. Although many of our customers have introduced a battery energy storage system alongside other clean energy measures, it does not have to be the case.

Battery energy systems can be charged using electricity from the grid. There are two key benefits to this: to store energy when tariffs are cheaper (to use when it’s not) or to solve a problem of peak loads on site by storing energy to support spikes in demand when capacity is an issue.

Read more about our systems here.

13. Who analyses the data?

Our systems are a treasure trove of data. Each system provides over 2.5 million data points each day, giving you a comprehensive idea of the system’s performance. We have a dedicated data team who specialises in understanding and optimising our systems constantly.

The team works with you in mind, meaning they can link up with your point of contact, be that Energy Manager, Sustainability manager, or Facilities Manager and work with them to develop your understanding of the system, or to change its variables, to help it perform the way you need it too.

You can read more about our data team here.

Connect with us

Get in touch with our team to discuss whether battery energy storage can work for your business.