NEC Energy Solutions is supplying Southern California Edison (SCE) with its first grid energy storage pilot system under a pre-approved energy storage procurement program initially conceived of and announced by SCE last year.

The NEC ES GSS grid storage solution product line is the first in the innovative “plug-and-play” procurement strategy being employed by SCE to demonstrate the ability of energy storage to support the distribution grid. Energy storage with a variety of features and configurations can now be ordered by SCE on-demand and installed almost anywhere to support SCE pilot program activities.

The first turn-key GSS® energy storage solution delivered under this program will include 3.4MWh of containerized lithium ion batteries, a 3MW power conversion system, and NEC ES’s proprietary AEROS® controls software suite. NEC ES will also provide service and maintenance packages to SCE for this GSS® energy storage installation. The energy storage system will be installed to defer traditional distribution grid upgrades that are becoming increasingly challenging, especially in dense urban environments such as those found in SCE service territory. Under the terms of the procurement program, energy storage can be configured and procured more quickly, giving SCE access to the widest range of tools to ensure safe, reliable electric service as needs dictate – without treating each one as a special project.

“Commercialization of energy storage in a way that allows quick and easy procurement has always been a goal of ours,” said Bud Collins, CEO, NEC Energy Solutions. “We worked extensively with SCE on this innovative program to make energy storage transactional while ensuring safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of the technology. Programs like this will make energy storage – a fast, flexible, clean, and dispatchable resource – an integral part of the grid.”