Eaton wants building owners and facility managers to know that even with limited space, an energy storage system could still work for them – which is exactly why the firm has announced the xStorage Compact.
Designed as an all-in-one single rack energy storage system, the xStorage Compact is a multi-usage solution enabling a wide range of applications such as PV self-consumption, peak shaving, load shifting, back-up power, electric vehicle charging station integration and grid support.
Building owners and facility managers should be able to easily find room for an xStorage Compact energy storage solution, as the rack takes up less than 1sqm of space. That’s significantly smaller than more traditional multi-usage energy storage systems.
The move to net zero
Giuseppe Sgrò, executive, energy storage and emerging technologies at Eaton, noted, “The way we generate and consume power is changing rapidly. Commercial building owners and facilities managers in particular are looking to take control of their energy supply, cut bills and move towards a more sustainable future. However, a big obstacle for small to medium-sized building owners is that creating power generation capacity is a significant investment of time, money and space, so any renewable power produced must be optimised for maximum return on investment.
“Eaton’s new xStorage Compact provides building owners and facilities managers with a multi-use, scalable energy storage solution that fits into limited spaces and can be deployed quickly. It ensures greater business resiliency and continuity of service through reliable back-up power whilst also maximising self-consumption of solar energy and even providing the power capacity to efficiently integrate electric vehicle charging on-site.
“Given the UK government is looking to end sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2035 or potentially even earlier, this will become even more critical as UK businesses adapt to employees’ changing commuting requirements. Additionally, the system can be used to participate in demand-response programmes and contribute to grid stability by selling energy back to the grid – creating an additional revenue stream for building owners.”
xStorage Compact specfications
In terms of specs, xStorage Compact provides up to 50 kWh per string of five battery packs, although that can be further extended thanks to the modular nature of the solution. This makes it ideal for maximising solar self-consumption, as well as avoiding capacity issues related to the integration of electric vehicle charging stations on-site.
The device also offers symmetrical charge and discharge, while a simple user interface to control vital functions and monitor the health of the batteries is provided as standard.