Greensmith Energy Upgrades AEP energy storage system with GEM software platform

Greensmith Energy upgrades American Electric Power (AEP) energy storage site by installing industry- leading GEMs software platform. The sodium sulphur battery energy storage system, widely used at utility substations around the world, had previously been used as a backup system for AEP’s distribution network in the region.

By installing the platform it has enhanced the system’s safety and reliability and enabled the 2MW / 14MWh West Virginia system to easily pass PJM’s rigorous qualification tests with a high performance score—on par with lithium-ion battery systems purpose-built for frequency regulation applications.

AEP’s Vice President Ram Sastry said that the addition of Greensmith’s software platform and their system expertise have allowed them to expand the use of thier energy storage system into a revenue generating asset through the PJM frequency regulation market. This upgrade ensures that our Appalachian Power customers will reap the benefits of improved reliability of the grid and the revenue generated by the system through its enhanced capabilities.

President and CEO of Greensmith Energy, John Jung said that this retrofit installation demonstrates that simply all batteries perform better with GEMS. Now in its fifth generation, the GEMS platform has been deployed with over 200 MW of energy storage systems using batteries from more than 16 battery manufacturers and 14 power conditioning system vendors. Fitted to the large installed base of sodium sulphur and other battery chemistries, GEMS can unlock the hidden value of gigawatts of storage capacity for utilities around the world.

Image Source: Greensmith Energy