Viridity Energy, a smart grid company leading the next generation of distributed energy resource management, announced that it has selected Saft and Envitech Energy Inc. in support of its recycled energy and optimization project with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the nation's sixth largest public transit organization.
The SEPTA project includes the installation of an advanced battery storage system by Viridity Energy that will capture and deploy power from the trains' regenerative braking. Viridity Energy will optimize SEPTA's energy storage system at one of SEPTA's substations to use the excess stored energy as a resource that provides energy service and reliability benefits to the power grid via participation in PJM's wholesale energy market.
"We are pleased to be working with Viridity, Saft and other partners on this exciting energy storage project," said Andrew Gillespie, SEPTA's chief engineering officer for power. "We can't wait to see the how Saft's experience with onboard train applications and trackside power management will benefit the project."
Saft, the world's leading designer, developer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industrial and defense applications, will perform the design, manufacturing and commissioning of its Intensium Max20 System, a battery energy storage system (ESS). The system will provide regenerative braking charge acceptance for SEPTA trains and power discharge back to the station to support rail traffic while simultaneously participating in the PJM
energy markets. As a fully integrated, containerized Li-ion solution, the Saft system will provide efficiency of greater than 95 percent and maximize system availability, as well as help to manage power flows.
"Saft is excited to be a part of SEPTA's recycled energy project, and for its potential to be deployed on a larger scale following a successful demonstration period," said Blake Frye, vice president of sales, Energy Storage for Saft North America. "Through this project, Saft is supplying the first trackside energy storage system in North America from our dedicated Jacksonville, Fla. facility."
Envitech Energy, a leader in providing the transit industry with new alternative energy storage traction solutions, has been selected as the system integrator and will deploy its ENVISTORE System. The ENVISTORE System is comprised of a DC-to-DC converter and power control system. It controls the energy exchange between the network and the Energy Storage System (ESS), recuperating the braking energy from the trains, storing it in the ESS and releasing it to the network upon command The system will also assure line receptivity during braking and voltage regulation to improve the performance of the system.
Audrey Zibelman, president and CEO of Viridity Energy, commented that, "We have assembled global industry leaders with proven ability to deploy large scale systems for the SEPTA project. By combining Saft's battery system and Envitech's system integration with our proprietary VPower, we are able to optimize SEPTA's power and voltage quality, reduce energy costs and generate a revenue stream for SEPTA by selling the excess stored energy on the wholesale power market."
Viridity Energy will deploy its VPower software optimization system to allow SEPTA to recycle the energy created from the regenerative braking ability of trains and trolleys at a highuse propulsion substation in Philadelphia, which will in turn improve power quality, produce energy savings and generate revenues.
Last year, the state of Pennsylvania awarded Viridity Energy funding through the 2010 Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) grant program for the "SEPTA Recycled Energy and Optimization Project." The project pairs the latest 21st century technologies and energy optimization practices with one of the country's oldest transportation systems, dating back to the deployment of electric trolleys in 1892, to capture and recycle energy created from the regenerative braking ability of trains and trolleys. The captured recycled energy improves power quality, produces energy savings and generates revenues.
The pilot project is targeted for commissioning by the end of 2011. Successful completion of the SEPTA project will demonstrate that energy storage can satisfy multiple value streams by accepting regenerative energy from train braking and while simultaneously providing a revenue source by participating in the PJM frequency regulation and economic energy market.
