Energy Storage Batteries May Help Reduce Coal Pollution

Man featured with solar batteries

The original article written by Chuck Quirmbach of WUWM:

Gov. Tony Evers caused a bit of a stir this year when he said Wisconsin should have a goal of generating carbon-free electricity by the year 2050. That would mean no coal-fired power plants in the state, and several other changes. Energy experts say one of those changes would likely involve ore use of devices to temporarily store electricity from cleaner sources like solar and wind power.

Republicans in the state Legislature have since removed the carbon-free language from the Democratic governor’s state budget proposal, arguing it’s a policy item.

But some Wisconsin utilities have promised to reduce their carbon emissions, and other states are aiming to eventually to carbon free.

And, some homeowners have already discovered energy storage.

West Bend resident Peter Gibeau has a storage unit in his basement that he keeps in tow plastic boxes. Inside each container – known as a battery bank – are eight, flooded lead-acid batteries. Other equipment called inverters charge controllers, and disconnects are nearby.

One of the battery banks in Peter Gibeua’s basement. Each battery is about the size of one you might find in a car. Credit: Chuck Quirmbach

Gibeau says the unit takes in and stores electricity generated by 23 solar panels on the roof of his house. “During the day, the solar panels charge up the batteries. Then, during the night, when there’s no sun, everything is coming off the batteries,” he explains.

He’s had the battery storage system for about three years. Gibeau  says it provides his household more energy independence, and far lower utility bills – though his home is still connected to the electrical grid as a back up.

Gibeau also believes he’s hoping reduce pollution from coal or natural gas-fired power plants. “it’s also my midlife crisis,” he jokes. “so, this whole system was a lot cheaper than a Porsche.”

The cost was reduced, Gibeau says, with federal tax credits and financial help from the state’s Focus On Energy renewable energy program.

Installers of energy storage systems say improved technology is making storage more attractive.

In the warehouse of Arch Electric in Plymouth, owner Ed Zinthefer slices open a cardboard box containing a battery unit about the size of a large DVD player.

Arch Electric owner Ed Zinthefer with a lithium cell energy storage unit. Credit: Chuck Quirmbach

“This is a lithium cell, and we can stack as many as six of these in one unit, getting up to about 9.6 kilowatt hours of storage,”Zinthefer explains.

Kilowatt hours, of kWh, is measure of power consumption. 19.6 kWh is likely enough storage to power an average home for at least a day.

The growth in lithium storage batteries is changing hte game for homeowners, Zinthefer says. “We can put more storage in a residence now than we could a couple years ago because we can pack more kWh into a lithium battery than we can in a flooded lead-acid batter.”

He cautions that on lithium batter unit can cost a few thousand dollars, and that energy storage isn’t yet right yet for every home. But, Zinthefer says it’s getting more affordable.

“Refinements, cost reductions, Int he last year, we’ve seen about a 10% decrease in the cost of our lithium-0based batteries. And, if that trend continues, its’ only matter of time before every consumer has the good opportunity to make that financial decision,” he says.

Some hospitals and other institutions are also using battery storage. And lately, even some Wisconsin electric utilities and transmission firms are considering much larger storage systems that could stet aside power for whole communities.

The Midwest Energy Research Consortium, or M-WERC, recently held a Milwaukee forum on utility-scale energy storage. UW-Madison Professor of Energy Finance Tim Baye took part. He says some of the guilty interest is realizing some consumers want more control over their home’s energy supply through devices like programmable smart phone apps.

“The millennial, the Gen-Xers, all want that type of ability, and we’re starting to see this market forces com into sync,” Baye says.

PSC Chairperson Becky Valcq speaks at the M-WERC forum on utility-scale battery storage. Credit: Chuck Quirmbach

But part of utility-scale storage may need state regulation. And Public Service Commission Chairperson Becky Valcq says one of her goals will be to make sure people who can afford storage units don’t push up electricity costs for those who can’t.

“I always think of it as sort of a water balloon. If you’re pushing on it, on one end, it’s gotta go some place else,” she says.

Valcq says it’s possible the PSC will open what’s called a generic docket, or investigation, to ask more questions about what energy storage would mean for everyone.

Support is provided by Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Hannah Goodman for Innovation reporting.

At A Glance

  • System Size

    173.6kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $28,483 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

    184,864 Pounds of Coal

At A Glance

  • System Size

    26kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $4,238 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    Two Rivers Water & Light

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    2,411,958 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    23.8kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $3,716 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    Alliant Energy

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    1,948 Pounds of Coal

At A Glance

  • System Size

    197.6kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $22,293 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

    20,695 Gallons of Gas

At A Glance

  • System Size

    149.5kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $23,913 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

    1.8 Tanker Trucks of Gas

At A Glance

  • System Size

    123kw

  • Estimated Savings

  • Utility Provider

    Madison Gas & Electric

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    13,709,514 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    389kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $56,681 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

    44,398,424 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    133.2kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $1,114,935

  • Utility Provider

    Madison Gas & Electric

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    14,727 Gallons of Gas

At A Glance

  • System Size

    25.7kw

  • Estimated Savings

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    26,293 Pounds of Coal

At A Glance

  • System Size

    26kw

  • Estimated Savings

  • Utility Provider

    Alliant Energy

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

At A Glance

  • System Size

    28.86kw

  • Estimated Savings

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

At A Glance

  • System Size

    43.6kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $151,039

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metered

  • Environmental Equivalents

    4,817,623 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    73.84kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $329,713

  • Utility Provider

    Plymouth Utilities

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

At A Glance

  • System Size

    64.845kw

  • Estimated Annual Savings

    $21,442

  • Utility Provider

    WPS

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

At A Glance

  • System Size

    133kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $386,522

  • Utility Provider

    Alliant Energy

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    12,550 Gallons of Gas

At A Glance

  • System Size

    26.6kw

  • Estimated Anual Savings

    $3,953

  • Utility Provider

    Alliant Energy

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    12,578 Pounds of Coal

At A Glance

  • System Size

    128.7kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $513,821

  • Utility Provider

    Manitowoc Public Utilites

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    13,964,512 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    45.5kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $275,531

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    4,679,952 Smartphones Charged

At A Glance

  • System Size

    1.825 MW

  • Estimated Savings

    $103,000 Annually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Direct Sell Rate Tariff

  • Environmental Equivalents

    1,740,000 ton of CO2 emissions

At A Glance

  • System Size

    388.8kw

  • Annual Savings

    $51,288

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metering

  • Environmental Equivalents

    26,104 gallons of gasoline consumed. 22,789 gallons of diesel consumed. 256,673 pounds of coal burned. 3.1 tanker trucks' worth of gasoline.

At A Glance

  • System Size

    388.9kw

  • Annual Savings

    $51,340

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metering

  • Environmental Equivalents

    26,135 gallons of gasoline consumed. 22,815 gallons of diesel consumed. 256,973 pounds of coal burned. 3.1 tanker trucks' worth of gasoline.

At A Glance

  • System Size

    299.3kw

  • Annual Savings

    $42,934

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metering

  • Environmental Equivalents

    20,076 gallons of gasoline consumed. 17,526 gallons of diesel consumed information. 197,404 pounds of coal burned.

At A Glance

  • System Size

    50.7 kW - DC

  • Estimated Savings

    $10,329

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Line Side/Parallel Generation (CGS-NM)

  • Environmental Equivalents

    361,853lbs of coal burned annually

At A Glance

  • System Size

    31.87 kW

  • Estimated Savings

    $4,998 Anually

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Monthly Net Metering (CGS-NM)

  • Environmental Equivalents

    CO2 Emissions: 22.6 Metric Tons 2,341 Gallons of Gasoline

At A Glance

  • System Size

    370kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $1,053,732

  • Utility Provider

    Alliant Energy

  • Connection Type

    Parallel Generation

  • Environmental Equivalents

    401,786 lbs. of Coal or 44,218,770 smartphones charged.

At A Glance

  • System Size

    389kw

  • Estimated Savings

    $1,190,164

  • Utility Provider

    WE Energies

  • Connection Type

    Net Metering

  • Environmental Equivalents

    384,108 lbs. of Coal or 42,273,187 smartphones charged