Battery Storage
What is it?
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can store energy that isn’t used when it is generated so it can be released later when it's needed.
Many of our homes and businesses are already playing an important role in powering Western Australia's renewable energy transition by generating clean, affordable energy through rooftop solar. But solar panels generate most of their energy during the middle of the day, when we use the least energy. Batteries store this surplus energy, feeding it back into the grid to meet demand at other times, like during the evening peak when everyone is back at home cooking dinner, turning on lights and watching TV.
What are the different kinds of batteries?
There are two main types of energy storage: Short-duration and long-duration.
Both play an essential role in our systems, redirecting clean energy so it is available when we need it most. This is a crucial part of an effective, secure and reliable low emissions energy system.
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Short-duration energy storage
Redirects our abundant solar energy so we can use it when it is needed. It can also act as a ‘shock absorber’ for the grid, releasing stored energy during rare moments when clouds block the sunshine or the wind drops.
Long-duration energy storage
In the future, long-duration storage solutions like the State Government's $150 Kalgoorlie Vanadium Battery Energy Storage System will help us manage any extended period where weather patterns mean there is lower than usual generation from solar and wind.
Where is it being rolled out?
There are batteries - including grid-scale batteries, community energy storage systems and smaller household batteries - already operating right across WA.
The State-owned battery fleet in the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) has added almost 1.5 gigawatts of energy storage capacity to our main energy grid - but there are also smaller batteries in use right across WA.
Managed primarily by Horizon Power and Western Power, batteries help support towns that are either remote or at the fringe of larger grids like the SWIS. In regional WA, towns like Onslow, Esperance and Wiluna use battery storage as part of their local off-grid and microgrid energy systems. Our State is a world leader in these types of energy solutions, and batteries are a big part of delivering reliable and secure energy in some of the most remote parts of WA.
