APS seeks 106 MW of batteries to pair with large-scale solar

Solar is a good fit as an energy provider as it generally produces power when AC usage is at its highest. The problem is obvious - it's output declines as the sun lowers on the horizon and it's clearly not going to produce anything when it goes down. Here's a step to extend that output to meet peak demand (the most expensive power). It's only a RFP (request for purposal - which would be followed by a RFQ - request for quote) but it shows that we are stepping in the right direction.

The Arizona utility has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for battery projects to allow its utility-scale solar fleet to meet evening demand, as part of a plan to add up to 500 MW of storage over the next 15 years.

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It seems everyone is doing batteries these days. From Massachusetts and New York to California and Hawaii, regulators and utilities are seeing the benefits of battery storage to the grid, particularly where paired with solar.

As the latest in this trend, last week Arizona Public Service (APS) issued a request for proposals for 106 MW of battery storage projects to pair with its existing fleet of large-scale solar projects. The projects will need to be in operation by June 2020, and will be used to shift output from these plants from daytime to evening.

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APS notes that it already has three grid-scale batteries in operation, as well as another 50 MW battery project which is scheduled to come online in 2021.

This concept of retrofitting existing solar with batteries appears to popular lately. Last week Hawaiian regulators also approved rules to allow the state’s 60,000+ behind-the-meter PV system owners to add batteries to their existing projects without violating their net metering agreements.

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/07/06/aps-seeks-106-mw-of-batteries-to-pair-with-large-scale-solar/

Interesting - I wonder how many utilities have rules like Hawaii that prohibit the use of batteries in their net metering agreements?