Mobile and Transportable Energy Storage Systems – Technology Readiness, Safety and Operation

De-carbonization of the energy industry has driven utility initiatives on replacing diesel generators with renewable alternatives for outage maintenance services and system reliability enhancement. Furthermore, the seasonal/locational reliability issues challenge the use of stationary assets such as battery energy storage systems. As a result, many utilities have initiated programs to explore use of transportable and mobile energy storage solutions, which provide greater flexibility of relocation and redeployment at different sites. The result is alleviation of seasonal reliability issues within a service territory and enhancement of asset utilization due to stacking of applications for higher benefit-cost ratios.

The primary goal of this IC activity is to engage industry leaders and subject matter experts to capture state-of-the-art practices on technologies, and applications associated with mobile and transportable energy storage solutions. Most of the existing standards, guidelines, and certification documents are developed specifically for safety and operation of stationary batteries; however, the specifications need to be reviewed and adjusted to further cover mobile applications. The key topics of focus are use cases, technology readiness, safety and security considerations, performance requirements and tracking, and business case development for fleet deployment.

The IC activity will build on extensive knowledge and experience from standardization of stationary energy storage applications and use of certain battery technologies in electric cars. The growing industry interest necessitates development of safety and performance standards to support cost-effective deployment and widespread utilization.

Due to the novelty of technology, the proper technology specifications should be investigated and standardized to provide guidelines for vendor products used in mobile energy storage applications. Furthermore, design and engineering of mobile and transportable energy storage systems (ESS) projects should be discussed from safety and operational perspectives.

Expected deliverables and outcomes from Industry Connections activities will include white papers and proposals for standards, conferences, workshops, etc. The deliverables of this Mobile and Transportable ESS IC activity will include:

• Use cases for mobile and transportable ESS
• Multiple surveys on technology assessment and gap analysis in standards and technologies
• White papers on multiple topics (business case for mobile and transportable ESS, safety and operational considerations)
• Proposals for standards: The aim is to prepare proposals for one or two standard development topics, including tentative plans and timeline for initiating subsequent work needed on standardization of design and safety of Mobile ESS.

We welcome new participants from utilities, manufacturers, certification and standard bodies, government agencies, national labs, academia, consulting firms, and all individuals interested in mobile and transportable ESS technology. Members will be composed of, but not limited to:

• Electric utility companies
• Manufacturing companies (ESS, BMS, inverters, controllers)
• National laboratories
• Transportation departments
• Certification agencies (UL, NFPA, CSA, etc.)
• Critical infrastructure (data centers, airports, hospitals
• Commercial sectors with backup power needs (mining and construction)
• Transportation electrification (increasing use of EV charging and V2X for backup)
• Regulators
• Consulting and engineering firms with focus on DER integration

To learn more about the program and how to join the Mobile and Transportable Energy Storage Systems – Technology Readiness, Safety and Operation activity, please express your interest by sending an inquiry to the activity chair whose information can be found in the Contacts section.