Beyond the Battery: Best Practices for Large-Scale Energy Storage Systems

Despite its rapid growth, knowledge about the components of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and their application varies considerably among independent power producers, original equipment manufacturers, investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and cooperatives.

This paper addresses the most salient issues to consider in developing best-in-class front-of-the-meter storage projects as battery costs continue to fall, applications evolve, and the need for energy storage systems rises,
including:

• A basic explanation of battery energy storage system components
• The growing list of applications for value stacking as well as its opportunities and challenges
• The impact of the stand-alone investment tax credit (ITC) in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for storage
• Key questions to answer before moving forward on a front-of-the-meter project