Dive Brief:
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Arizona Public Service is installing 4 MW of AES Energy Storage batteries in Surprise and Buckeye, Arizona.
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The installations will support APS’ utility-owned rooftop solar pilot — the Solar Partner Program (SPP) — through which 1,600 customers receive monthly bill credits for APS solar installed on their houses.
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APS says it plans to use information from the pilot to guide larger-scale renewable energy integration using battery storage. Duration (MWh) details for the battery installations were not initially released.
Dive Insight:
Arizona has been a battleground over privately-owned rooftop solar, with APS and other utilities seeking lower compensation rates than traditional retail net metering.
But APS also has a rooftop solar pilot of its own, and it too is controversial because it involves APS owning and operating the customer-sited arrays.
The utility’s Solar Partner Program is intended to study the use of smart inverters and energy storage to integrate high penetrations of rooftop solar onto local distribution grids while maintaining reliability.
As part of that effort, APS has contracted with AES Energy Storage to install batteries in two areas where it has about 120 participants in the solar pilot. The batteries will deliver energy to customers when electricity prices are high and solar panels are no longer producing power.
“Using initiatives such as the Solar Partner Program, we are studying how best to deploy advanced technology to better integrate clean energy while maintaining reliability and cost effectiveness for our customers,” Scott Bordenkircher, APS’ director of technology innovation, said in a statement. “The customer of the future’s home will be powered by resources that are cleaner and smarter.”
AES did not release pricing or duration details for the batteries but said AES will be among the first utilities to own and operate its Advancion batteries outright. Another is San Diego Gas & Electric, which plans to flip the switch on two installations totaling 37.5 MW, 150 MWh in January.
