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About the Episode:
The energy storage market is truly moving faster than ever, and with it, the complexity of building and managing these projects and products that serve our need for 24/7 renewable power. It does, however, raise a number of interesting, if not troubling questions:
How does this rapid change impact the Total Cost of Ownership for battery energy storage projects?
Are there hidden costs to this pace of growth?
As we watch the industry scale, it has started to feel a bit like companies are rushing projects (and products) to market in a race to meet market demand and be “first” in a number of key areas, not the least of which is power density and battery size.
So we have to ask, “how big is too big?”
And, as sites begin to move closer to population centers, what do we do about the inevitable concerns surrounding noise ordinances?
Is Noise the next challenge in front of the industry?
I asked these and many others of today’s special guest while we were live on our PowerUp Live stage recently at RE+ 2024.
With over 12.5 gigawatt-hours of contracted storage systems, including 8.5 gigawatt-hours already in operation, Wärtsilä Energy Storage & Optimisation (ES&O) is rapidly expanding its global footprint across key markets, from the US and Canada to Chile, the UK, and beyond. With the market moving faster than ever, Wärtsilä is tackling both technical and logistical challenges, ensuring that its battery storage systems are ready to meet demand.
Andy Tang, Vice President of Wärtsilä ES&O, brings nearly two decades of expertise in battery storage and grid edge development to the table. And in our conversation, he addresses head on the impacts of rising energy density on Total Cost of Ownership (TCOE) and the hidden costs associated with larger, more complex systems.
Expect to learn:
Whether the race to greater energy-density batteries is really “good” for the market.
The emerging challenge of noise and how Wärtsilä is addressing it through advanced design and site planning
Tang’s advice for procurement managers in vendor & product selection.
Watch this and other insightful conversations recorded live at the PowerUp Live Podcast Stage over at www.suncast.live!
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“The challenge you have though is many of these solutions have not been designed by integrators. So you know, what does an integrator do? Well, an integrator understands the total system, every individual component.”
“Storage is encroaching into distribution and not only is it encroaching into distribution because of of lack of sites, but it’s also increasing into distribution because of the move towards resiliency, and really the ability for networks to build at the grid edge, and so noise is absolutely becoming a really big factor.”
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 15 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.