BESS EPC & Midwest Investor-Owned Utility
A Midwest Investor-Owned Utility (IOU) was interested in implementing a battery energy storage plus solar PV system to benefit their service territory. In particular, the end-of-the-line user will benefit from this project. The system comprises a 5 MWH battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 2.014 MVA Solar PV system. Commonwealth teamed with a BESS EPC as the engineering service provider (ESP) for the BESS plus Solar project. Commonwealth provided the construction documents for the BESS as part of an EPC contract. The necessary project documentation supplied by Commonwealth included drawings, specifications, and requested studies to build the BESS plus Solar system.
Commonwealth supported the BESS EPC in providing initial site preparation documentation and layout details. Due to the area impacted by the BESS and Solar, the project required a SWPPP permit. Commonwealth supported the permit application with county officials and the Midwest IOU. Commonwealth provided civil and structural materials and drawings for the project's construction. Major equipment locations and layouts were supplied for installation and site coordination. An erosion control plan, lightning protection study, analysis of Arc Flash hazards, calculation of incident energy, and calculations indicating load flow and short circuits at different buses in the power system were performed and provided by Commonwealth. In addition, an insulation coordination study was conducted to identify overvoltages and provide overvoltage protection devices and appropriate insulation levels.
Identifying safety hazards suggested mitigation measures and responses related to the BESS were created by Commonwealth. Relay settings documentation, including fault current analysis and coordination study of the ESS and PV, was performed by Commonwealth. A grounding grid, ground grid engineering analysis, grounding grid conductor types, connection and test points types and details, ground rod locations, and other grounding-related tasks were performed by Commonwealth for construction. Commonwealth also provided the site network communication diagram and lighting study for identifying lighting levels throughout the BESS.
