Whilst it might seem to be a tad incongruous, there is a connection between home and business energy storage and the car industry. As the latter drives towards electrification, the former can take advantage of lower battery costs and higher electricity costs to push both the home owner and business to an alternative means of energy storage.Nissan and Eaton are at the forefront of an industry which is set to take off in the latter part of this decade. The xStorage solution combines Nissan’s expertise in vehicle design and reliable battery technology with Eaton’s leadership in power quality and electronics to provide a range of wall-mounted lithium batteries to power homes and businesses.

For the home

xStorage Home has been designed as a complete single unit system that provides everything needed to manage and store energy. When connected to a residential power supply or renewable energy sources such as solar panels, the unit can save consumers money on their electricity bills. It does this by charging up when renewable energy is available or energy is cheaper, usually at night time, and releasing the stored energy when demand and costs are high.

With more consumers wishing to embrace the use of clean energy, energy storage systems both promote the use of renewables in addition to extending the usage of existing solar panels beyond the daylight hours. As of May 2017, the UK was placed sixth internationally in terms of installed capacity of solar energy generating 12,318 megawatt of PV solar power. Growth in the use of solar panels is dependent on the continued reduction in the cost of PV panels, government incentives, and individuals and companies adopting a greener lifestyle. However, for existing solar panel owners, xStorage Home comes with solar panel inverters already integrated making it easy for the consumer to connect directly to the system and gain the benefits. There is an estimated 850,000 UK homes with solar panels. These owners can make the electricity they generate more valuable by storing it in the battery and using it later, taking advantage of low cost deals which charge consumers less if they avoid peak, high demand periods.

xStorage also provides other environmental benefits contributing to reducing CO2 emissions with the decarbonisation of energy supply by storing, consuming or sending renewable energy back to the grid where conditions enable customers to do so. This can provide a potential revenue stream as users can sell stored energy back to the grid when demand is high. In addition, xStorage provides a second life for Nissan’s electric vehicle batteries by repurposing their use, thereby reducing waste and optimising the longevity of the batteries. According to Green Tech Media, vehicles typically demand very high performance from their batteries and once the battery’s capacity declines to 70-80 per cent (after eight to twelve years usage) it needs to be swapped out. However, the battery can still handle a lot of charge and discharge at this point making it useful for storage in less intensive stationary settings. Eaton and Nissan have made xStorage affordable by utilising the additional value provided by these batteries.

xStorage also acts as a back-up power source in the event of a power outage, adding to the benefits of the investment.

Installation, by qualified installers, is included in the cost of the unit, so homeowners have a safe and reliable system which also has been designed to fit aesthetically into a home environment. The system even has a smartphone app to allow consumers to move conveniently between energy sources (grid to battery).

The xStorage Home range is available in:

• 4.2 kWh (second life batteries)
• 6 kWh (new or used batteries)
• 9.6 kWh (new batteries)

For Business

For companies xStorage Buildings provides similar benefits as described for homeowners. It gives businesses an innovative, flexible solution for managing energy costs through intelligent energy storage by taking advantage of off-peak energy rates or by utilising the system as part of its own renewable energy programme.

Companies are being challenged by:

• Rising electricity costs and complexity
• More distributed energy resources
• Greater adoption of demand response programs
• Increasing complexity of building energy management systems

XStorage Buildings selects the right power sources according to the load, the grid constraints and the availability of renewable energy. It allows end users to store energy once produced so that it can be used on demand to power the business or to participate in demand response programs sending energy back to the grid.

Business can operate a more sustainable workplace by controlling their energy costs and minimising supply risks by having backup power in place. Investing in energy storage can save businesses operational expenditure, generate additional revenues and improve resilience to power outages. xStorage enables companies to better manage their own power source whilst alleviating demand from the grid, particularly at peak times. With an increasing population using more devices requiring more electricity, smart technology can balance the power required at peak times and ensure a consistent source of supply. Coupled with the need to invest in and use renewable energy, and the falling cost of battery storage, it is a timely opportunity for business to include xStorage as part of their technology infrastructure.

xStorage Buildings is available from 24kWh to several MWh.

For further information on how your customers can benefit from energy storage systems, talk to your Exertis account manager who can put you in touch with our product specialists.