BMW Group
The electrification of the mobility sector has made it join hands with the energy sector. It is at these new interfaces that BMW Energy Services is developing digital business models that benefit the customer. BMW Energy Services considers the challenge of changing mobility in its entirety, also from the perspective of the energy industry, and is therefore an essential enabler of the electrification strategy of the BMW Group. One focus of BMW Energy Services is the development of storage business models, as illustrated by the battery system at the BMW Group factory in Leipzig.
Short description of the project contribution
Combined application of a battery farm for ancillary services and smart energy control of a large industrial manufacturing site
Over the past decade, the installed capacity of wind and solar power in Germany has almost tripled. An increased feed-in of intermittent wind and solar power leads to forecast errors and therefore requires a greater need for operating reserve. Furthermore, such growth can cause a higher load on the distribution system. In order to avoid grid expansion, demand side methods are needed.
The installation of a large-scale battery behind the grid node of the BMW Group factory in Leipzig makes it possible to provide ancillary services to the transmission system operators in the shape of operating reserve and to the distribution system operators by reducing peak loads (within the peak load windows of the interconnected grid).
Thanks to the innovative second life approach of the battery storage system, the lifetime of battery modules from electric BMW i3 models can be extended. In addition to the installation of used batteries, new storage units can also be integrated, for instance to implement ‘spare parts storage’ concepts. The modular structure of the battery farm moreover allows for the use of future battery generations and the scalability of the total infrastructure.
- Marketing primary operating reserve
- Active load management at the factory site in Leipzig in the shape of peak load reduction
- Flexibilisation of the factory site