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SEPTA Unveils Recycled Energy and Optimization Project Leveraging Energy Storage
June 28, 2012
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The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) today unveiled its recycled energy and optimization project. The pilot project captures the braking energy of its trains on the Market-Frankford Line and will integrate that power into the regional electric grid.
When SEPTA's trains brake at each stop to load and unload passengers, the kinetic energy of the train is converted into electricity. But like many transit agencies across the country, without a method to capture that excess electricity, it could not be stored and used at a later time. Energy storage has proven to be a solution for capturing regenerative braking to provide supply savings. It has also been proven that energy storage can provide support to the electric grid through the frequency regulation market.
"Through this pilot project, SEPTA will become even more energy efficient, which will help control operating costs -- benefiting both customers and taxpayers. We've made our system cleaner, greener and more efficient in recent years -- things like replacing traditional diesel buses with diesel-electric hybrids and installing energy-efficient lighting at stations, facilities and offices," said Joe Casey, General Manager at SEPTA. "These measures are helping us control costs in tough economic conditions -- and making us a better neighbor in the communities we serve."
SEPTA launched the pilot project in partnership with Viridity Energy. Saft was selected to provide the design, manufacturing and commissioning of its Intensium Max20 P System, a battery energy storage system (ESS). Envitech Energy, a member of the ABB group, was selected to provide power controls, power conversion and system integration using its ENVISTORE System. With these partner technologies, the train's regenerative braking energy is being transformed into virtual power that is intended to provide significant energy savings and new energy revenue to support SEPTA's progressive sustainability goals.
Viridity Energy's VPower optimizer is designed to enable the simultaneous process of regenerative capture, regulation performance, and energy market participation by selecting which market to participate in based upon market pricing, battery state of charge, and availability of regenerative energy from the trains.
Saft lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology supplies megawatt level energy storage for the project. Saft, a leader in advanced technology batteries, has provided the project with one of the first dual purpose trackside Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in the United States.
The successful launch of the project, funded in part through a 2010 Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) grant program as well as support from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, is intended to demonstrate that energy storage can satisfy multiple value streams by accepting regenerative energy from train braking while simultaneously providing a revenue source by participating in the PJM frequency regulation marketplace.
"Conceived in America, saving energy and dollars in Philadelphia - what an unbeatable combination we're seeing today from the partnership of SEPTA, Viridity Energy, Saft and Envitech," said Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a leader in Congress for energy efficiency and innovation in manufacturing through the U.S. Energy and Commerce Departments.
Source: Viridity Energy
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