Community-Scale Energy Storage Guide: How Community Groups and Small Businesses Can Employ Energy Storage to Save Money and Contribute to Minnesota's Clean Energy Transition

In: https://hdl.handle.net/11299/223066

Abstract

This guidebook is a synthesis of existing reports and data to provide insights into the state of energy storage for renewable energy sources. This guide is for people who have or are interested in investing in renewable energy battery storage to power their homes, businesses, or community spaces. In it, we'll walk you through how the US electricity grid operates, how renewable energy generated by homes and buildings works alongside it, and how investing in battery storage for renewable energy can optimize resources and help protect communities against power outages. We'll also overview the different technologies available for storing renewable energy for future use and the partners, costs, and steps involved with installing an energy storage battery. Recent case studies from three sites in Minnesota, a state without fossil fuel reserves yet rich in renewable resources, illustrate how energy storage batteries help aid in the resilience of communities and the health of the planet by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. ; This guide is for people who have or are interested in investing in renewable energy batteries to power their homes, businesses, or community spaces. In it, we'll walk you through how the US electricity grid operates, how renewable energy generated by homes and buildings works alongside it, and how investing in battery storage for renewable energy can optimize resources and help protect communities against power outages. We'll also overview the different technologies available for storing renewable energy for future use and the partners, costs, and steps involved with installing an energy storage battery. Recent case studies from three sites in Minnesota, a state without fossil fuel reserves yet rich in renewable resources, illustrate how energy storage batteries help aid in the resilience of communities and the health of the planet by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. ; Funding for this project (ML2018 07b) was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).