What tangible benefits can energy storage systems bring to businesses? How can businesses leverage energy storage to optimize energy costs? This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of the value of energy storage in enterprise energy management from five perspectives.
For most businesses, the most glaring part of their monthly electricity bill is often the demand charge. When a business simultaneously operates multiple devices during peak hours, the instantaneous power consumption increases, resulting in high charges from the grid company based on peak load.
The principle of energy storage systems is to store electrical energy during off-peak hours (such as at night or on weekends) and release it for use during peak hours. This not only avoids the extra costs associated with peak electricity consumption but also significantly reduces demand charges.
For example: A manufacturing enterprise with a top demand of 2500 kW can limit its height demand to 1600 kW with the aid of deploying an industrial and industrial power storage system, ensuing in a 30%–40% discount in normal electrical energy expenses.
Furthermore, in areas imposing time-of-use pricing, power storage structures can robotically optimize charging and discharging techniques primarily based on electrical energy charge fluctuations, similarly bettering electricity efficiency.
In summary, the direct advantages of height shaving and valley filling include:
Reducing electrical energy buy prices all through top grid periods;
Reducing demand-based electrical energy expenses;
Smoothing the electrical energy load curve and enhancing electrical energy efficiency.
More and more companies are installing distributed photovoltaic (PV) power stations, but often, the electricity generated during the day is not fully utilized, while at night, electricity needs to be purchased from the grid. The addition of commercial energy storage systems can help companies achieve energy self-sufficiency.
During the day, the system stores excess photovoltaic energy; at night or on cloudy days, the energy is released for use. This not only reduces dependence on the grid but also maximizes the economic return on photovoltaic investment.
The advantages of energy storage + photovoltaic include:
Increasing the self-consumption rate of photovoltaic power generation;
Reducing curtailment and increasing power generation revenue;
Ensuring production continuity and preventing power fluctuations;
Locking in energy prices and maintaining long-term stable expenditures.
For businesses, this combined solution translates to predictable and controllable energy budgets, laying the foundation for future carbon reduction targets.
In the case of manufacturing, data housing, and healthcare sectors, a single minute of power interruption can result in a huge financial loss. It is reported that US companies lose billions of dollars every year because of power interruptions. Rapid and the second most important function of commercial energy storage systems is to deliver rapid and stable backup power. In case of a power cut-off the energy storage batteries can switch to supplying power in just a few milliseconds, thus guaranteeing uninterrupted operation of high priority loads (like servers, production lines, and cold chain equipment).
Compared to traditional diesel generators, energy storage systems offer:
In areas with unstable grids or for businesses with high requirements for continuous power supply, deploying energy storage systems is equivalent to adding a "safety valve" to operations.
Energy storage not only helps businesses save money but also helps them generate revenue.
In many countries and regions, businesses can generate various benefits by integrating energy storage systems with the power grid:
| Revenue Model | Description |
| Energy Arbitrage | Store electricity when prices are low and sell when prices are high to earn price difference. |
| Ancillary Services | Provide services like frequency regulation and voltage support to receive compensation from the electricity market. |
| Demand Response | Reduce load or release stored energy during grid stress to receive incentives from government or grid operators. |
Taking the European and American markets as examples, energy storage companies can achieve an annualized return of 10%-15% through demand response programs and ancillary services. In China, various regions have also successively launched pilot policies for industrial and commercial energy storage to participate in electricity market transactions, and the energy storage business model is becoming increasingly mature.
As energy price uncertainty increases, companies are paying more and more attention to the controllability of their energy budgets. The greatest strategic value of energy storage systems lies in helping companies achieve "predictable" energy costs.
By storing energy when prices are low and discharging when prices are high, companies can effectively smooth their expenditure curves and avoid additional cost pressures caused by market fluctuations.
At the same time, energy storage can also help companies delay power infrastructure upgrades and reduce their reliance on high-cost grid modifications.
In the long term, the benefits of energy storage include:
Controllable energy expenditures and more stable budgets;
Shorter investment payback period (generally 4-7 years);
Enhancing corporate green competitiveness and brand image.
From peak shaving and valley filling to photovoltaic-storage complementarity, from backup power to energy market participation, commercial energy storage systems are reshaping enterprise energy usage patterns. It's no longer just an energy-saving tool, but the "central brain" of an enterprise's energy strategy.
2025 will be a pivotal year for the popularization and deepening application of energy storage technology. For enterprises looking to reduce energy expenditures and enhance energy resilience, now is the optimal time to invest.
Huijue Group, a leading domestic provider of photovoltaic-storage solutions, focuses on the R&D and integration of industrial and commercial energy storage systems. Its products cover a complete energy storage system from hundreds of kilowatts to megawatts, coupled with its independently developed Acumen EMS intelligent energy management system, helping enterprises achieve energy savings, smooth dispatch, and economical operation.
To learn more about Huijue's energy storage solutions, please contact us for customized solutions.
