Powering up grid-scale storage
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are transforming how we store and utilize renewable energy. Our photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems engineering manager, Chris Houck, discusses how to accelerate the deployment of this key technology for a cleaner energy future.
In 2024, low-carbon energy technologies constituted the vast majority of new energy capacity added to the grid. While solar photovoltaic (PV) systems led the way, the second-greatest contribution was not wind nor nuclear, but battery energy storage systems (BESS), representing 23 percent of new capacity.
These two technologies — PV and BESS — not only dominate the emerging energy landscape they are also inextricably linked. As PV capacity continues to increase rapidly, many states have found themselves with more solar energy than they can reliably use. BESS is key to ensuring that this additional clean energy, rather than being curtailed or wasted, is instead stored and redeployed at critical moments of high demand.
Yet, despite capacity growing 66 percent in 2024 alone, BESS systems have polarized public opinion, particularly around safety and community impacts, and require significant expertise and expensive hardware to deliver.
For developers and utilities to progress BESS projects — and support a new generation of renewable energy capacity — they’ll need to prioritize permitting, streamline procurement and, critically, get the public on board.
A wide range of benefits
When considering their sheer breadth of benefits, it’s easy to see why BESS has taken off.
Utilities and grid operators have seen more efficient load balancing and greater reliability thanks to BESS projects. Peak demand shaving benefits of BESS have also allowed utilities to begin decommissioning expensive, polluting peaker plants that have long helped manage short-term spikes in energy demand.
“Communities that adopt battery storage will see lower energy bills and reduced air pollution as well as greater resilience during blackouts and extreme weather.”
Consumers are poised to benefit too. Communities that adopt battery storage will see lower energy bills and reduced air pollution as well as greater resilience during blackouts and extreme weather.
Many of these benefits are possible because of BESS units and their capability to grid form with the local utility grid — actively stabilizing the power grid by independently controlling voltage and frequency. This allows BESS to provide vital support during grid disruptions, particularly when integrating large amounts of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
Engaging communities
Effectively engaging the public and addressing community concerns regarding BESS is critical to project delivery.
Local community values must shape messaging efforts, allowing audiences to understand how BESS projects benefit them — whether through resilience for critical local infrastructure or reductions in air pollution.
“By drawing out concerns early in the project planning stages, practitioners can then look for opportunities to refine aspects of the project to address community concerns and targeted messaging to address misconceptions.”
Conversely, by drawing out local concerns early in the project planning stages, practitioners can then look for opportunities to refine aspects of the project. Often, engagement can culminate in investment in local infrastructure or services that can allay community concerns and bolster public support. It’s also important to explain the differences between a newly proposed BESS and older BESS projects that were designed prior to the introduction of newer safety regulations and technologies.
Delivery is as critical as content when crafting messaging. A multipronged, interactive community engagement program maximizes opportunities for education and engagement around BESS.
This may include public meetings, pop-up events, presentations delivered to Community Based Organizations and civic organizations, collaboration with community leaders in vulnerable communities, digital engagement and multilingual approaches. Digital engagement, in particular, provides an opportunity for casting a broad net and providing opportunities for stakeholders to engage at their convenience.
“Delivery is as critical as content when crafting messaging.”
Safety and compliance
Of course, BESS developers must not just win over the public. They must also adhere to stringent regulations and standards.
A whole host of environmental permitting laws, including the Federal National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and state regulations like California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and New York’s State’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), all impose extensive requirements on BESS projects, from air pollution and impacts on local flora and fauna to greenhouse gas emissions.
Perhaps the most publicized risk of BESS projects is battery fires. Though battery fires pose real health impacts to local communities during fire events, the technology remains broadly safe — and more so each year with advances in battery chemistries, standards and fire prevention systems.
Between just 2018 and 2023, grid-scale battery failure rates fell by 97 percent worldwide, thanks to increased regulations and safety testing standards such as NFPA 855 and UL9540A implemented during that time. When seeking a BESS supplier, it is recommended to select a manufacturer that meets the newest safety standards set by UL 9540 and UL9540A, which cover the construction, manufacturing, and performance of BESS. The best brands also undergo extensive fire testing.
“Between just 2018 and 2023, grid-scale battery failure rates fell by 97 percent worldwide, thanks to increased regulations and safety testing standards.”
Integrated expertise
While designing a safe, compliant BESS system is imminently feasible, the challenge for many developers is that the requisite expertise often extends far beyond their capabilities.
The key, then, is partnering with permitting experts who understand not just the complexities of BESS technologies but also have integrated delivery capabilities across the whole scope of the environmental sector.
“While designing a safe, compliant BESS system is imminently feasible, the challenge for many developers is that the requisite expertise often extends far beyond their capabilities.”
Battery projects AECOM has delivered have leveraged a broad base of expertise. On projects like the RE Crimson Solar Project in Palm Springs, California, our teams are supporting multiple permits required for numerous state and federal agencies. Within the last four years, we’ve also assisted San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) with pre-construction natural resource assessments, engineering support, and geotechnical work for several BESS and microgrid projects in San Diego County.
The benefits of an integrated delivery partner are manifold. Owners can streamline the project development process with more effective cross-functional integration while also enabling handoffs between process steps under a single, comprehensive team.
Standardizing equipment and procurement
There is a high demand for industry components that support grid infrastructure. Continued growth in PV, BESS, electric vehicles, and data centers, has caused multi-year manufacturing lead times and rising costs for transformers, high voltage /medium voltage wire, and breakers critical for BESS projects.
A way to mitigate this challenge is by standardizing equipment purchases of different sizes and categories.
“Standardized purchasing and predictable design allow for confidence within the organization to progress a project and its renewable energy goals.”
Standardization allows greater predictability. Developers can design sites based on known equipment parameters, ensuring material compatibility, and can make predictable long-lead item purchases annually. This relationship between standardized purchasing and predictable design allows for confidence within the organization to progress a project and its renewable energy goals.
Bringing it all together
Technical innovation continues to make battery electric storage ever more viable. Yet, the future of BESS will also depend upon capabilities outside the energy sector.
To sustain BESS growth, developers will need to emphasize public engagement and permitting in development projects, streamline procurement, as well as bring expertise across a whole array of environmental sectors. Unifying these disciplines will not only prove transformative for consumers — it will also make the energy transition a reality.