A large building site usually has generators to power and back-up critical equipment. Neighbors of a future apartment building in Canberra, Australia were fearing the noisy worst, but it was a BESS system in a smart container that arrived instead. When they heard what it was, they may have wondered are they really building on battery power next door, or is this a dream?
Battery Power The Exception on Building Sites
Large diesel generators are still first choice for construction companies in Canberra, because they can deliver over 10,000 watts of electricity for heavy-duty tools and cranes. Generators are also portable, and stave off the need for connections to the city grid.
However, the Geocon construction company had other ideas as they planned their top-end apartment complex. They were considering building on battery power at their new site on a cloverleaf junction, with a light rail project as neighbour. But the city grid was running close to capacity.
The city authority provided an electricity connection, but what they had to spare was insufficient. Big, noisy generators hardly matched the peaceful building brand. The project manager needed something different. So he settled on a battery energy system in a shiny new container from a battery rental company.
More About Big Batteries for Building Sites
The battery storage rental supplier offered a range of products in the 150 kVA to 600 kVA range. They came in shiny stainless-steel containers, complete with heating and cooling systems for temperatures between -20 and 45 degrees celsius. Plus they also had onboard filtering systems for airborne contaminants.
The two by 300 kVA energy storage batteries replace the alternative four noisy generators. They load their power in off-peak periods, when grid-demand is low and power is cheap. The city safety requirements are identical to generators, and include notifying the fire department of a large energy source on site.
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Batteries Step In To Support Big Generators
