ABB’s grid support service eases the transition to renewables and creates a revenue stream from your UPS.
Power transmission and distribution networks are undergoing dramatic changes. The most challenging of these is the connection of ever more renewable energy resources to the networks. This transition requires new grid support services – for grid stabilization, for example. PowerExchanger enables the ABB UPS to help balance production and consumption fluctuations in the electricity market. By drawing energy from its batteries within milliseconds, PowerExchanger helps accommodate safely the increasing volume of intermittent renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, that would otherwise create challenges for the grid.
ABB’s grid support services add capabilities to UPS systems so their untapped or underused reserves of power and intelligence can be used to interact in an innovative way with the grid, providing essential ancillary services such as frequency regulation or operational cost optimization. ABB’s PowerExchanger unlocks the potential of these energy storage systems, enabling the UPS owners to support the transition to renewable energy sources, create new revenue streams and reduce operating costs and energy bills
Frequency regulation functionality
A major challenge faced by grid operators is frequency regulation. Regulation is needed to co-ordinate interconnection frequency, manage power flows between areas and match the load in an area to the generation. Severe frequency deviations can cause power blackouts. Frequency regulation functionality allows energy to be discharged from or charged to UPS battery banks in response to a decrease or increase, respectively, of grid frequency. Frequency regulation is used to counter unplanned power generation and load imbalances that otherwise cause a frequency stability problem. With PowerExchanger, if there is a grid frequency regulation issue, power can flow to not only support the critical load but also to support the grid and help solve the issue.