Leveraging BESS to Drive Microgrid Flexibility

June 13, 2024
Jana Gerber, North American microgrid president for Schneider Electric, highlighted the benefits of battery energy storage for on-site power during her booth chat with Nikki Chandler at the Microgrid Knowledge 2024 Conference.

When it comes to securing business operations in the face of uncertain power supplies, microgrids have become an essential resiliency-enhancing tool.

This is due in large part to their ability to integrate with a variety of energy technologies.

While microgrid configurations can vary widely between companies and even facilities, one technology is finding a place in every industry in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector – battery energy storage systems (BESS).

To gain expert insight into this technology, Nikki Chandler, editorial director at Endeavor Business Media, spoke with Schneider Electric North American microgrid president Jana Gerber at the Microgrid Knowledge 2024 Conference in Baltimore this past April.

A common theme in industry conversation is the need for more reliable storage technology; in response to this demand, during the Microgrid Knowledge Conference, Schneider Electric launched its new BESS and educated attendees on the benefits this system provides beyond energy reliability.

“Really, the significance of this [launch] is helping our customers uncover more use cases and ways that they can leverage this battery energy storage system to drive cost savings, flexibility, sustainability, and overall resilience,” said Gerber.

Not only does a BESS provide several benefits in the face of record-high energy demand, but it also performs multiple functions depending on the needs of the company.

"Record-high energy demand is a huge factor, [making] the cost of energy very important to our customers and how they run their operations. A BESS has multiple use cases we can work with, whether that be shaving peak loads or grid follow...where it might go into island mode," added Gerber.

To learn more about the benefits of adding a BESS to a microgrid and how Schneider Electric is filling the energy storage gap with their new BESS, check out the interview with Jana Gerber from the Microgrid Knowledge 2024 Conference.

The Microgrid Knowledge 2025 Conference will be next April 15-17 in Dallas.

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About the Author

Breanna Sandridge, Senior Editor

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