The State Corporation Commission of Virginia has approved plans by Dominion Energy to develop four energy storage pilot projects in the US state totalling 16MW.
Dominion said it will use lithium-ion batteries for the facilities, three of which will be linked to solar farms in Virginia.
Two projects totalling 12MW will be installed at the Scott solar facility in Powhatan County to store electricity generated by the plant during periods of high production and release energy during periods when load is high or solar generation is low.
A 2MW battery system will be built at a substation in New Kent County serving a 20MW solar facility with the aim of demonstrating how storage can help manage voltage and loading issues caused by reverse energy flow to maintain stable power delivery.
A second 2MW battery at a substation in the town of Ashland in Hanover County aims to bolster existing grid capacity to serve customers during times of high energy demand without the need to engage in wholesale equipment upgrades, Dominion said.
The company added that the projects are enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018, which allows it to invest in up to 30MW of battery storage pilot projects.
“As the company continues to increase its solar fleet and build out its offshore wind development off the coast of Virginia Beach, the company is looking for new and innovative ways to store the renewable energy it produces to maintain reliable service to customers,” Dominion said.
The four storage systems will cost approximately $33m to construct and are expected online in the first quarter of 2021.
Dominion said the pilots will be evaluated over a five-year period once operational.
Dominion Energy vice president of generation construction Mark Mitchell said: “Dominion Energy will pilot these 16MW of battery storage to better understand how best to deploy batteries across our system to integrate renewables and provide grid reliability by filling gaps due to the inherent intermittency of solar and wind power.
“These pilot projects will also help us learn how to incorporate this emerging technology into our overall strategy to achieve net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions.”
Dominion Energy vice president of grid and technical solutions Joe Woomer said: “Energy storage is emerging as a critical component to meeting our customers’ needs and providing continued grid stability.
“Experience from these pilot projects will enable storage to complement or serve as an alternative to traditional grid enhancements needed to maintain reliable service for our customers as we work to integrate renewables and improve grid resiliency.”