Battery Storage System Installed by NSG Group Will Reduce Costs, Emissions

(Credit: NSG Group)

NSG Group has installed an operational industrial-scale battery storage system at its Pilkington plant in Collingwood, Ontario, in order to reduce its electricity use and costs. The project was constructed this past winter and was estimated to save the Pilkington plant around $360,000 per MW during the summer of 2021.

The 5MW/10MWh battery energy storage system was developed by Convergent Energy + Power. The system uses Convergent’s PEAK IQ software to help reduce the glass manufacturing facility’s electricity use during times of peak grid use, which can otherwise be carbon intensive and costly.

NSG Group says using a battery storage system as opposed to a generator is a sustainable way to reduce costs, increase flexibility of energy use, reduce its carbon footprint and that it creates a more efficient power grid.

Battery storage and use is becoming more popular in creating efficient and renewable energy.

A recent report by Wärtsilä, a Finish smart energy company, says accelerating renewable power creation can cut electricity costs by up to 50% and that battery storage guarantees reliability in the absence of sun and wind sources. Advancing battery storage products as ways to improve energy reliability and longevity as well as efforts to bring down costs of the technology are becoming more widespread.

Additionally, use of smart technology and artificial intelligence similar to the PEAK IQ software, to help monitor grids and make their use more efficient and cost effective is also helping drive implementation of renewable energy.

NSG Group has a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 21% by 2030 based on 2018 levels and is using projects like the battery storage system to help it get closer to reaching them. It also has plans to increase renewable energy in other areas, such as solar energy in the US and Vietnam, and increasing renewable energy use to 50%.