Technology
Beacon Power is a pioneer and technology leader in the design, development, and commercial deployment of grid-scale flywheel energy storage. Beacon''s proprietary designs are at the
A flywheel-storage power system uses a flywheel for grid energy storage, (see Flywheel energy storage) and can be a comparatively small storage facility with a peak power of up to 20 MW. It typically is used to stabilize to some degree power grids, to help them stay on the grid frequency, and to serve as a short-term compensation storage.
They can be installed at the transmission or distribution levels or even in remote connected or isolated grids. The modular and distributed architecture of Beacon flywheel energy storage systems allows flexibility in power capacity as well as siting. A single flywheel module easily connects to others, allowing for incremental storage expansion.
Flywheel energy storage is based on accelerating a cylindrical rotor assembly that converts and stores electric energy as rotating kinetic energy. Flywheel systems recycle energy from the grid, absorbing excess power when directed and delivering it back to the grid when needed.
Moreover, flywheels can store and release energy with minimal losses, particularly when used for short-duration storage (on the order of minutes to a few hours). This makes them ideal for solar power applications where energy needs to be stored during the day and discharged in the evening.
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