What Is Too Big When It Comes To Creating Massive Power Plants?

Here, in the US, we’ve observed the solar power plant’s DC:AC ratios settle at approximately 1.25:1. We also see some solar projects go far exceedingly to these values. The Babcock Solar farm developed by NextEra for FPL in Florida is 74.5 MW-AC / 126 MW-DC – a 1.7:1 DC:AC ratio. The plant is linked with a 10 MW / 40 megawatt-hour energy storage facility, which is still the largest created solar+storage facility in the United States. Even further than that are ratios of 2.2:1 that have bubbled in anticipation of the Massachusetts SMART program and its power storage adders. The question becomes what the specific ratio that you should choose on your project to maximize what you’ve got: land, interconnection capability, and local electricity economics is. A Fluence Energy blog post has put out a rocky path to determine that amount.

The Excess Power Produced Is Explained Next

The excess power being produced above the 100 MW-AC inverter’s capacity, which was adopted to align with the site’s approved interconnection capacity. In the project highlighted, the developer has a 100 MW-AC interconnection arrangement, enough land to install 250 MW-DC worth of solar, and a 5¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) energy purchase agreement for all electricity.  You have learned this and now you know it.

Focus On Each Step For Your Analysis

The primary step is running an hour-by-hour analysis of various ratios of PV systems to determine the sizes of the battery inverter and the batteries themselves needed to capture the electricity. The energy storage system is sized so that utmost of the battery is used as much of the time as possible. That suggests on the sunniest of days, and there will still be some electricity that cannot be captured and will be clipped as a battery sized to reach all will be underutilized. And, now you know.

The next part tells us more information. Don't forget, information is vital.  The more you know, the more you can do with that information.  When you embark on this historic moment in your life, be reading the next 500+ words, you will know more than you did five minutes ago. This estimate at the various DC: the 5¢/kWh then multiplies AC ratios for the electricity at the site. This value provides you with the main number to work with: the amount of revenue needed to make your design judgment calls. This revenue number will resolve what your battery ROI is.  We know this information now.

There are a lot of cases to be witnessed in the world. And in this case, Fluence gives a most magical concept that solar designers need to start considering in a more nuanced practice to help them maximize their systems. This value is the price to add extra solar panels and the balance of system (racking+wiring) separate from the previously sunk costs of the site. Fluence rates 60¢ per watt for that extra hardware.   Isn't that interesting?

What does it cost you to add to an already existing project?

This part is about what you think it is. Then Fluence combines together the costs of energy storage, additional solar modules, and the broader projects prices in a cross-reference of the net present value (investment value of the project taking into account long-term interests prices). This mix of estimates suggests a DC:AC ratio of just over 1.9:1!  Ratios are very informative.

Energy storage running into prime time means solar power developers need to update their spreadsheets to add essential variables.