BATTERY STORAGE SHAVES COSTS FROM PEAK POWER TIMES.

• Author: Romig, Suzie
• Position: STATE OF THE STATE

United Power in Brighton plans to construct the largest utility-scale battery storage system in Colorado this year. The 7,000-square-foot installation, located southwest of Firestone near 1-25 and Highway 119, will help manage system growth and equates to about $1 million in annual electricity savings, says engineer Jerry Marizza, United Power's new business director.

"This battery project is helping the co-op manage renewable energy resources throughout our grid," including solar installations that produce the most power mid-day, Marizza says.

United Power is partnering with Chicago-based SoCore Energy to install 4 megawatts of Tesla Powerpacks that are based on lithium ion battery technology. The Tesla rechargeable four-hour batteries will store excess power during non-peak times and then release that energy during peak-use times, usually 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

With the construction of the battery system, United Power will roll out a shared savings program that will allow commercial and industrial customers to purchase battery power to offset demand charges at their locations. Customers such as the town of Erie and a large local dairy farm...