How can solar storage be optimally sized?

The key to optimally sizing the storage system probabilistically is understanding the tradeoff between marginal cost of additional solar or storage and the penalty for being unavailable to meet a peak in a rare situation.

Can a fixed amount of solar PV provide more firm capacity?

Said another way, with a fixed amount of solar PV (if you are land-constrained, for example), you can provide more firm capacity with the same amount of storage if you are willing to charge from the grid sometimes [see Figure 1]. Figure 1. Solar capacity, in MW, required to create a 100 MW renewable peaker.

How much does solar cost per MWh?

Two years ago, we noted in a blog post that solar had broken the $30/MWh barrier in an auction in Chile. Now we routinely see mid- to low- $20’s per MWh PPAs in the US, and a solar PPA in Saudi Arabia broke $20/MWh at $17.9/MWh. The fuel for energy storage is only getting cheaper.

How do I calculate the amount of energy stored in a battery?

Calculating the amount of energy stored in a battery will use a different formula than a solar battery bank calculator. For one, you'll need information about the electric charge in the battery, also known as amp-hours. Let's review the steps to calculating the amp hours in your battery. We'll use V to represent this unit.

What is the storage requirement for a solar peaker?

The storage requirement is 100 MW due to the time of day the peak occurs, and we want to know how much solar PV to build to “fuel” the peaker. As you can see, the more stringent the requirement to avoid charging from the grid, the quicker the solar capacity (and the CAPEX) increases.

Do solar plants provide frequency regulation?

Additionally, the solar plants also provide 30% of the plant’s nameplate capacity for 10 minutes in order to qualify to provide frequency regulation. Below are the needed inputs and analysis required to determine how to properly size energy storage for solar plant stability.