RWE has connected its 137-MW/548-MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) to the California Independent System Operator-managed state grid.
The project, called Fifth Standard, is sited in Fresno County, California and represents the German company’s largest U.S. storage facility to date. The facility also includes a 150-MW solar PV facility, which is expected to be completed in August.
“Projects like Fifth Standard, with its co-located battery storage system, will become increasingly important to help ensure that as renewables form a bigger part of the energy mix, the electricity produced can be used when it is needed most,” said Mark Noyes, CEO of RWE Clean Energy. “In our case, future growth is backed by project development pipeline comprising more than 24 GW in onshore wind, solar and battery storage, one of the largest in the U.S.”
Fifth Standard will feature 369,334 solar panels covering approximately 1,600 acres. The solar farm is expected to produce enough clean electricity to power more than 26,000 homes, supporting California’s clean energy goals as the state aims for net-zero emissions by 2045.
The solar panels at the facility will use a racking system with solar trackers that follow the sun’s path, optimizing energy output. Any excess energy that is not immediately sent to the grid will be stored in the on-site lithium-ion battery energy storage facility.
This energy storage system will allow the plant to release stored solar energy when there is high demand for electricity. It can discharge 137 MW into the grid over a four-hour period.
