World First Off-Grid Remote Stand Alone Power System

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Problem

An ASX100 listed infrastructure player presented a unique off-grid problem where their requirements were for a low maintenance, durable and reliable storage solution that’s power and capacity isn’t affected by temperature. Their current alternatives such as mains power was expensive and lengthy to obtain, and their emissions on solar and lead acid battery storage was high with a relatively high maintenance and replacement rate. With a growing need to deploy over 150 revised or additional off grid remote Stand Alone Power Systems in NSW alone, they were looking for alternative innovative solutions that could provide higher power for their 24/7/365 load.  

Solution

Key Energy designed, installed and commissioned the world’s first off grid Stand Alone Power System as a demonstration site with the infrastructure company acting as a pilot partner on an existing site solar.

With their generous support on the civil works, Key Energy was able to successfully commission a hybrid UPS BESS (using lithium titanate batteries) and flywheel mechanical battery solution as a phase 1 solution. 

Results

After running that system, increased efficiencies were identified by removing the lithium titanate UPS battery and running solely on flywheel mechanical batteries.  As part of the project, KEY designed, upgraded, tested and implemented their own software and control solution dedicated for off-grid mechanical battery and flywheels, the Stand Alone Power System Smart ENergy Storage Solution for Alpha (SAPS SENSSA™) to optimise and improve the reliability and efficiency of the mechanical battery.  This system allows for automatic “idling” or “putting the flywheels into neutral gear” which significantly reduces losses while the system powers the load overnight. Together with automated switchover of which battery is operating, it is able to significantly improve the storage days autonomy to over 4 days.

Benefits

The benefits of the SAPS SENSSA and off-grid mechanical battery solution for this use case are:

  1. Longer lifespan – the flywheels have a 30+ year lifespan based on the usage profile for this use case
  2. Greater economic savings across the total useful life from reduced replacement of cells and reduced scheduled maintenance cycles.
  3. An estimated 121 times less CO2e than lead acid per kWh useful life.
  4. Flexibility of charge/discharge profile
  5. Lower fire risk – the main element used is mechanical steel with no chemicals used, which has low DC arc flash potential with no thermal runaway issues.

Our SAPS SENSSA provides:

  1. Automatic black start capability
  2. Automatic flywheel efficiency improvements by “putting the flywheels into neutral gear”
  3. Automatic closed loop vacuum pump duty cycle – reducing the passive load by a factor of 3-10 times.
  4. Remote access to a wealth of operational data including accurate SOC, pressure levels and power output, voltage, amps and more.
  5. Remote control behind high security utility grade cyber security access restrictions and firewalls
  6. Local fault recovery and management
  7. Local datalogging
  8. Automatic curtailment and shutdown procedures for maximum and minimum state of charge levels respectively
  9. Operator HMI for local viewing and control

For access to the usage charts, or to discuss your off grid project needs, please contact us.

This project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, and Resources through the Accelerating Commercialisation Program

Accelerating Commercialisation Grant
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