Washington Gas Energy Systems is working with Southern Company and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to test and evaluate a battery storage system at a 1 MW solar array in Cedartown, Ga. The project will analyze a 1-MW/2-MWh lithium ion battery energy storage system to establish a technical and economic foundation for future grid deployments, with a specific focus on renewable integration.

Energy storage systems provide collected electricity to the grid on demand to compensate for the intermittence of solar, stabilizing power output from solar arrays and other renewable energy sources. The ground-mounted solar array consists of 3,388 solar panels with an expected annual output of more than 1.5 million kWh. The Cedartown energy storage system is scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2015.

Washington Gas Energy Systems owns and operates the array under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Inman Solar designed and installed the system.