With a commitment to deliver cleaner, more reliable power where and when it’s needed most, GE has launched the new GE Reservoir, a comprehensive energy storage platform.
GE says the Reservoir helps meet the energy industry’s rapidly changing needs. Applications include managing higher levels of renewable power, stabilizing the grid, managing peak demand and controlling energy flow.
The Reservoir, which already has a 20 MW/80MWh pre-launch commitment, expands GE’s 10-year footprint in the energy storage space, the company says.
“The energy landscape is undergoing an unprecedented paradigm shift, as the growth of renewables, decentralization of power and digitization create both new challenges and opportunities in how power is generated, transmitted and distributed,” states Russell Stokes, president and CEO of GE Power. “GE’s Reservoir delivers the new type of energy system that customers are looking for to help manage electricity’s next chapter.”
GE’s Reservoir platform, developed with technology from GE’s Global Research Center, is a flexible, compact energy storage solution for AC or DC coupled systems. It combines GE’s advanced technologies and experience in plant controls, power electronics, battery management systems and electrical balance of plant, the company says.
The 1.2 MW/4 MWh Reservoir Storage Unit is the building block of the platform. It is a modular solution that integrates GE’s Battery Blade design (module stack design) with key technologies from across the company’s portfolio for optimal energy density, footprint and lifetime performance. In addition, GE’s proprietary Blade Protection Unit (BPU) actively balances the safety, life and production of each battery blade, extending battery life by up to 15% and reducing fault currents by up to five times, according to the company.
The modular system has multiple installation and cabling options, including pad or pier, and it is designed to minimize operations and maintenance expenses over the life of a project by offering an all-weather design and high-efficiency cooling system.
GE’s Reservoir platform also leverages Predix and Edge controls technologies to provide data-driven insights that help energy operators enhance their systems.
Eric Gebhardt, vice president and strategic technology officer of GE Power, adds, “GE’s Reservoir platform enables cost-effective distribution, storage and utilization of cleaner, more reliable power where and when it is needed most. It can fit into most any setting, from centralized grid systems to the most remote villages and communities. The Reservoir also allows energy providers new degrees of flexibility for more intelligently managing and getting the most out of all their power assets.”
