Bicoastal interest in flywheels

Power, Apr 2005

The California Energy Commission (CEC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are both taking a step into the future by signing separate contracts with Beacon Power Corp. (Wilmington, Mass.) to demonstrate flywheel energy storage solutions (Figure 4) for frequency regulation and grid stability.

Under the contract with NYSERDA, Beacon will demonstrate the Smart Energy Matrix, which is designed to provide grid frequency regulation and reactive power in Amsterdam, N.Y. In California, a similar demonstration will provide grid frequency regulation at a site in San Ramon. The demonstrations will integrate Beacon flywheels and associated power electronics into the local distribution grid. The expected benefits include improved grid reliability, a potential reduction in operational cost, and power stabilization.

"Flywheel-stored power, which has yet to be demonstrated for grid applications, could offer the California ISO an alternative to keeping power plants on spinning reserve to balance the system," explains California Energy Commissioner Dr. Art Rosenfeld. "If it proves viable, the technology can help save our grid operator money on ancillary services," adds Rosenfeld, who also heads the CEC's RD&D (research, development, and demonstration) committee.

Bill Capp, Beacon Power's president and CEO, adds, "These agreements are an opportunity for Beacon to show how our flywheel energy storage solutions can provide superior frequency regulation services and improved grid reliability." In addition to the NYSERDA and CEC contracts, the company is already working with Connected Energy Corp. (Rochester, N.Y.) on ways to use flywheel energy storage technology to improve the reliability of grid-connected distributed generation systems. "We're convinced that our Smart Energy Matrix will provide a competitive alternative to conventional regulation services," Capp says.

Grid operators, such as the California ISO, purchase frequency regulation services that typically consume 1% to 2% of the amount of energy on a grid. In 2003 the value of regulation services purchased by four U.S. regional grid operators in open power markets exceeded $400 million. "The Beacon Smart Energy Matrix is specifically designed to address this sizeable and growing market with better performance and greater cost effectiveness than existing methods," explains Capp.

"Flywheel technology has the potential to provide a rapid injection of energy for several minutes to help keep the grid stable when there's a contingency--some kind of problem that causes a big power plant to go off-line," says Jim Detmers, interim COO of the California ISO. "By helping out with the CEC demonstration project, we are fostering the development of technology that shows real promise for improving the control and reliability of grids."