Electrify America Launches First Megawatt-Level Storage

• Electrify America opens the first megawatt-level battery energy storage system (BESS) for EV charging stations in California, along with a solar canopy.

• Battery energy storage systems offer increased independence from the grid, allowing energy to be collected during off-peak hours or from the solar panels.

• EA views this type of solution as a preview of non-urban charging station types, with large batteries collecting power from less advanced grid systems.

Electric vehicle owners and non-owners alike may picture charging stations largely as stalls with high-voltage cables connected to the electrical grid, but that's not necessarily where station engineering trends are going.

Earlier this month Electrify America opened the first megawatt-level battery energy storage system (BESS) for EV charging stations in Baker, California, offering a significant supplement of power boosted by a solar canopy. The goal of such storage systems is to reduce stress on the grid and manage energy costs when local utilities limit the amount of power a station can offer. It also permits a station to generate and store its own solar power.

"To put this into perspective, the energy storage system at Baker, when fully charged, could provide enough energy for an average household for over three months on the single charge," said Jigar Shah, head of energy services at Electrify America.