Retail Merchandiser Volume 63, Issue 2 Volume 63, Issue 2 | Page 16

In sites with heavy , round-the-clock energy requirements a BESS unit can store solar power during generation time to use later .
a BESS can be capitalized on by either feeding power back to the grid or providing balancing services – something that a site can be paid for and therefore generate revenue for the business . The ability to achieve this depends on the terms of each energy contract but rates are incredibly favorable at the moment .
Storage can also support a site to manage peak energy periods , such as charging electric vehicles , when more power is needed . This is increasingly vital with the rise of EV charging stations at retail sites . In fact , new data from intelligence specialist CACI suggests that electric car charging could boost retail footfall . The survey found that 68 percent of people who intend to own an EV will visit retailers more frequently if they provide charging facilities .
London ’ s Brent Cross Shopping Centre has committed to establishing itself as the largest electric car charging hub with 236 stations in the next five years and according to Zap-Map , which displays the location of charging points , a thousand stations were already available at UK supermarkets in early 2021 . Even in 2018 , research from Savills showed that retailers who installed EV charging stations saw a 50 percent increase in dwell time .
For sites focused on decarbonization , the added benefit of capturing solar from PV within a BESS helps maximize the use of clean energy , therefore saving carbon emissions . Opting for a BESS which utilizes second life batteries offers even further carbon savings .
Operationally equivalent to BESS made from brand new batteries , second life battery energy storage units provide an additional positive carbon benefit of 450tCO2e for every 1MWh installed . For large carbon emitters , this level of carbon saving is hard to achieve through any other means .
Financial support is now available to install energy storage systems
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