Distributed energy storage systems firm Viridi has energized a 3.75 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at Peace Bridge Place, an affordable housing building in Buffalo, New York.

The new project is one of the U.S.’s largest indoor battery systems at an occupied residential building, Viridi representatives say. Developed in conjunction with western New York’s Good Carbon Co., the system will strengthen Buffalo’s energy resilience for residents, and enable the Peace Bridge Place property to access flexible energy management strategies.

Staffers at the 105-unit building say the battery is a major component of a larger sustainability strategy encompassing geothermal energy, domestic hot water, and high efficient building envelope upgrades.

“This project demonstrates what becomes possible when energy storage is designed to serve the building and the grid at the same time,” says Viridi CEO Jon M. Williams. “Peace Bridge Place will now be able to reduce peak demand, respond when the grid needs support and strengthen resilience for the people who live there.”

The Peace Bridge Place project makes use of Viridi’s RPSLinkIN BESS technology, which includes fail-safes for occupied spaces and critical equipment. This allows for “unique permitting opportunities,” the company says, including indoor deployment in occupied buildings.

“The bigger opportunity is proving that large-scale lithium-ion storage can be safely integrated into the places where people actually live and work,” Williams adds. “By unlocking occupied buildings for energy storage, we can dramatically expand where distributed energy resources can play a role in strengthening the grid.”

Strengthening the Empire State

Viridi and Good Carbon are getting support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) for the new project, the companies say. The project itself is actually functioning as a National Grid pilot, focusing on integration of flexible and distributed energy resource technology in its distribution network.

As part of the collaboration with NYSERDA, Viridi’s energy storage and energy management technology will coordinate with EnergyHub’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), according to officials. The partnership will enable the Peace Bridge Place property to respond to National Grid signals during peak demand.

“Peace Bridge Place demonstrates how forward-thinking energy storage solutions can ensure New York’s multifamily buildings are meeting the energy needs of its residents while creating a more reliable and resilient electric grid,” says NYSERDA president and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “Projects like this embody NYSERDA’s mission to spur innovation that drives New York toward a clean energy future.”

The 3.75 MWh system stretches across seven “battery rooms” inside Peace Bridge Place, Viridi officials say. The company’s energy management system optimizes the property’s electrical usage while also enabling it to respond to changing conditions on the local grid through peak shaving and seasonal demand.

Ensuring critical safety measures

Perhaps the most critical aspect of the Peace Bridge Place project is Viridi’s increased safety measures for its indoor battery systems. Especially inside an occupied residential building, the issue of thermal runaway could pose massive problems, and has long constrained where companies could deploy lithium-ion systems.

Viridi’s solution was to meet the rigorous safety measures, testing the system for UL 9540A standards by intentionally driving one cell into thermal failure. The company’s thermal management technology prevented cell to cell propagation with no detectable release of heat or sparks.

“Energy is one of the biggest operating costs in multifamily housing, and how you manage it directly affects the long-term performance of a property,” says Good Carbon CEO Adam Serbert. “At Peace Bridge Place, Viridi’s battery and energy management technology will help us reduce peak demand, avoid higher-cost periods and participate in demand response programs. That means lower operating costs, new revenue opportunities and a stronger economic foundation for keeping the property affordable and well maintained.

“For us, this is not just about one building — it is about creating a model we can apply across future multifamily projects.”

Peace Bridge Place now acts as proof of concept for Viridi’s project scalability, the company says. The company’s Buffalo manufacturing facility currently has a production capacity of about 400 MWh of battery systems annually, with room to grow. Viridi officials estimate that those 400 MWh is equivalent to about one day of electricity usage for 14,000 average American homes.

— Solar Builder magazine