Battery energy storage system (BESS) = A battery and power conversion system that stores electricity for use later, so power is always on hand if needed.
Dispatchable resources = An electrical power system like a generator or a power plant that can be turned on or off. In contrast, most renewable energy sources are intermittent and non-dispatchable (wind/solar), which can only generate electricity while their energy source is present like the sun shining or the wind blowing.
Distributed energy resources (DERs) = Decentralized energy generation assets like solar and battery energy storage. It is a similar concept to leveraging distributed cloud computing versus a central mainframe computer.
Distributed generation = Power that is generated locally rather than from a central power plant.
Demand response = A short-term, voluntary reduction in energy consumption triggered by the local utility operator to reduce network load in exchange for payment or credits.
Frequency regulation = Dispatchable fast responding DERs such as BESS are used to maintain a frequency band on the utility grid.
Independent system operator (ISO) = An organization that coordinates, controls, and monitors the electrical power system in a given geographic area.
Peak demand charge = The highest average period, typically 15 minutes, of energy usage during a utility billing cycle. Charged at a $ per kW rate, it is sometimes the highest single line-item expense on a commercial energy bill.
Virtual power plant (VPP) = A network of decentralized distributed energy resources dispatched through central control to sell aggregated blocks of energy on the open market.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) = A set of key non-financial performance indicators used to evaluate a business’ sustainability, ethical, and corporate governance actions.
Send email
