Opportunities for commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage are growing, and customers need safe, reliable battery systems that maximise value throughout their lifecycle, says Cubenergy’s Chris Wu.
Cubenergy, a pioneer in smart battery storage technology, brings customers precisely what they require: all-in-one C&I solutions that combine the highest levels of safety with ease of installation and maintenance, and consistent, optimised performance.
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According to Chris Wu, Cubenergy’s managing director for Europe, there are five primary market drivers for C&I storage. These include regulatory incentives, which can be crucial for the adoption of energy storage and energy cost optimisation, first seen at a broad scale in China but latterly also in Europe.
On the technology side, the falling costs of battery cells continue to drive the energy storage market forward in all segments, while the growth of renewable energy provides an obvious need for storage.
Chris Wu says the final driver is that large-scale behind-the-meter (BTM) C&I systems can also provide valuable frequency response ancillary services to the grid.
This application represents an especially big opportunity in the Nordic countries and Eastern European markets today for industrial systems ranging from 1MW up to about 30MW output.
Integrated all-in-one technology with the highest levels of safety
To capture the opportunities these market drivers provide and to maximise the value of energy storage systems (ESS), customers need a seamless, integrated technology solution with the highest levels of safety. They must also know that their solutions are fully certified to comply with regulations, including European CE marking.
Then, during the battery storage system’s operational lifetime, customers want peace of mind knowing that their system is easily maintained.
“With a growing understanding of ESS, customers desire systems that require minimal or no battery calibration throughout their lifespan,” Chris Wu says.
Customers should also expect their manufacturers to have a strong local after-sales service presence, offering robust warranty services and comprehensive operations and maintenance (O&M) ecosystem.
On the technology side, the energy management system (EMS), the brains of the ESS, must be efficient and well-designed.
Finding the right solution from the right manufacturer
However, finding the right manufacturer can be a challenge. Some manufacturers fail to recognise the importance of immersing their management and employees in local market regulations and culture.
Others “are short-sighted and fail to establish local after-sales service centres in Europe,” for example, says Cubenergy’s Chris Wu.
“The market needs long-term players committed to localisation,” he says.
Similarly, partnerships must be built, and yet, with many manufacturers, there is “a lag in developing a robust partnership ecosystem in Europe, which is crucial for understanding and serving customers better,” Wu says.
Cubenergy, currently focused on high-end markets like the US and Europe, meets all those needs through its pioneering technologies and approach to customer satisfaction.
Pioneering technology, simple installation
The PowerCombo AC block design perfectly encapsulates Cubenergy’s philosophy towards manufacturing, marketing and servicing.
It’s an all-in-one solution that reduces the time required for on-site integration and testing, speeding up the overall deployment process by as much as four weeks.
With PowerCombo designed and built as a single, pre-assembled unit, there is no need to wait for separate components to arrive and be integrated on-site.
Meanwhile, another two weeks of site acceptance testing (SAT) time is saved because factory acceptance testing (FAT) has already been completed before delivery.
“Essentially, there is no need for SAT. According to our experience, the total lead time savings can be up to six weeks,” Chris Wu says.
“Since the system is pre-tested and configured in the factory, it ensures a higher level of reliability and performance when deployed.”
PowerCombo is an innovative smart solution; its design is based on Cubenergy’s pioneering work in adopting string structures and active-balancing EMS technologies.
“Optimisation of PowerCombo’s AC block is mainly down to Cubenergy’s string structure, which can facilitate a string level of balancing. No balancing is needed as every single string is independent,” according to Chris Wu.
Active balancing of Cubenergy’s 100% IP-owned EMS ensures every single battery cell in a battery string can be balanced with each other within 24 hours.
Cubenergy is also adopting a new second-generation battery management system (BMS).
Safety is Cubenergy’s number one priority. Managing director for Europe Chris Wu says that while some other manufacturers have chased a trend of increasing energy density further and further without first ensuring safety, Cubenergy has always been “cautious and respectful when it comes to safety.”
“Instead, we are continuously improving our ESS structure, battery management system capabilities and other components to enhance the safety level of our ESS further,” he says.
Cubenergy: Your trusted partner over the lifetime of the system
With local after-sales service centres and a strong partnership ecosystem to match its technology solution, Cubenergy provides the highest levels of ESS optimisation to the market.
“As a long-term player, we aim to ensure that every buyer receives exceptional after-sales services, either directly from Cubenergy or through our partner ecosystem,” Wu says.
The all-in-one solution is designed to work seamlessly as a cohesive unit, ensuring consistent and optimised performance.
Another advantage of this integrated concept, from the customer’s perspective, is that the manufacturer will also be responsible for its performance throughout the whole lifespan.
Find out more about Cubenergy’s all-in-one intelligent PowerCombo solution.
