1. Backup Power 2. Money Savings 3. Revenue Producer
Running a business can have its share of challenges. Ensuring that you have consistent and reliable power at an affordable price to operate doesn’t have to be one of them.
There were over 140 widespread power outages across the United States in the first eleven months of 2023. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), most of these outages were the result of severe weather or natural disaster events. From California to Texas and the Northeast, about every area of the country was impacted sometime throughout the year.
Lost productivity and time often equates to financial losses. What are business owners doing to keep their operations running? How can battery systems actually save and/or make money for businesses during power outage times?
Commercial and industrial operations have several uses for battery energy storage systems (BESS). The benefits of energy storage include less reliance on the electrical grid, cost savings, and long term revenue opportunity. Let’s take a look at three scenarios.
Emergency Backup/Continuance Assurance
One way to use a battery energy system is when the power goes out. Automatically tap into your own stored energy during a weather emergency. Get uninterrupted power for your production, employees, and customers.
Long term power outages in colder climates can result in frozen and cracked water pipes. Burst water pipes are damaging and expensive to recover from. Reduce the probability of this occurrence by utilizing battery storage solutions.
Bonus if you pair a solar panel system with an energy backup battery. Excess energy generated by your solar panels gets stored in a solar battery. It is then used to reduce peak charges, on rainy days, at night, and during a power outage.
Combining solar with a solar battery is as energy-independent as you can get.
2. Money Saver/Peak Demand Reduction
The case of buy low, sell high. Save money by storing your energy when electricity prices are lower (pulling energy from the grid and or solar during off-peak hours). Then sell that stored energy back to the grid when energy demand and prices are high.
Sounds complicated? Not at all. With integrated smart controls and AI, you don't have to track or manage the process. It’s done for you automatically.
3. Money Maker/Revenue Producer
If you have extra space outside—5,000 square feet or more of parking or land— that is vacant and unused, you can lease this space to a third party to house a container-sized battery system by Tesla and others.
The energy stored in these systems is used to supply the electricity grid and gets distributed to customers of all types in the area when they need it.
Depending on your local grid needs, these annual leases of land can earn you from $25,000 to $175,000 per year, for 20 years. The best part is, you don't need to do anything. It is 100% passive income.
Can your business benefit from energy storage?
Battery energy storage systems are a game changer for businesses looking to control fluctuating (and rising) energy costs. They also provide peace of mind with assured power continuity. And in some cases, they can produce revenue.
It is advisable to meet with a renewable energy pro to help determine what solutions would work best for your business.
All the more power to you.
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Smart Roofs Energy is a turnkey renewable energy company. Clean energy gives companies control over their electric bills. Offerings include rooftop and ground mounted solar PV, energy storage solutions, and electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations.