GridPoint to Manage Wind Power (NaS) Battery Storage

[jpak]

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/gridpoint-to-manage-wind-power-battery-storage-5205.html

The smart grid technology startup has inked a deal with Xcel Energy to manage storing wind power in batteries when demand is low and drawing on it when it's needed most.

Smart grid startup GridPoint Inc. got into the utility power storage business Tuesday, announcing that utility Xcel Energy had chosen its software to manage a wind power battery storage project.

Arlington, Va.-based GridPoint will control the flow of power between an 11-megawatt wind farm in Luverne, Minn. and NGK Insulators' 1-megawatt, sodium-sulfur battery that is capable of holding 7.2 megawatt-hours of energy, the companies announced. The battery storage project is expected to be complete in January 2009.

While GridPoint has managed some small-scale storage for distributed energy generated at homes or businesses, Tuesday's announcement was a first for GridPoint in the management of utility-scale power storage, Corsell said.

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