How BESS Merges Power Flow with Data Flow

Battery energy storage systems, or BESSs, are becoming more critical as governments and the global energy industry try to keep up with sustainable development and energy transition. 
 
Recently, several governments have intensified their investments in large-scale BESS systems. For example, in 2022, the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), allocating $370 billion to finance climate change and renewable energy initiatives with 30% of the investment offset targeted at energy storage equipment. In addition, China is expanding its domestic energy sector by working to achieve a 30-gigawatt energy storage scale by 2025. As a result of these and other investments, energy storage technology is increasingly being recognized as the "fifth pillar" in the power grid system, in addition to the pillars of generation, transmission, distribution and consumption.
 

Advanced power intelligence

Today, a BESS is more than just a charging and discharging device. It has evolved into an advanced power intelligence management system integrating power flow with data flow. To optimize power usage, BESS operations entail battery management and create secure network connections to exchange data with power generation and the grid.
 
However, because of these improvements, power and automation system providers now face additional networking and cybersecurity challenges. In the past, the primary requirement for network transmission was merely connectivity. Today, with the deep integration of BESS into national power grids, network availability and cyber security have surged to the front of the line.
 
In recent years, industrial network and industrial control cybersecurity technologies have made progress and are now integrated into various critical infrastructures. Below are four network technology requirements that BESS providers should consider when designing systems:

1. Monitoring network communication-related indicators: Advanced network switches allow the real-time monitoring of key indicators of point-to-point communication, such as Optical Power and Network Packet Error Rate. These indicators can warn of possible hardware malfunctions or network interference and provide information about the state of system operations. For example, abnormal optical power might indicate an impending failure of the optical fiber transmitter or on-site wiring issues. Inspecting and intervening early can prevent communication interruptions and keep the BESS system running smoothly.
2. High-availability network architecture: Industrial Ethernet features millisecond-level backup network architecture to address the real-time communication requirements between BESS and the power grid. This not only provides real-time and stable transmissions but can also quickly switch to a backup network in case of network failures, ensuring uninterrupted data flow. The PRP/HSR zero packet loss technology can improve the reliability of the BESS network when interacting with substations.
3. Simplify equipment IP management to enhance network security: Since large-scale BESS may involve many networked devices, the NAT (Network Address Translation) function helps to simplify IP configuration and management. With NAT, multiple devices in the same battery storage container can share an IP address while the internal network remains hidden from potential attackers, enhancing overall network security.
4. Compliance with international industrial control system cybersecurity standards or specifications: With increased awareness of cybersecurity, IEC 62443 and other new industrial control cybersecurity standards, have been widely accepted internationally and applied to critical power infrastructures. These standards cover a complete set of cybersecurity engineering concepts for individual products, overall system security and long-term safety management.

 In conclusion, with the rapid advancement of technology coupled with the strong trend of energy transition, the role of BESS in power systems is becoming increasingly important. Its successful operation relies on integrating expertise from different domains, such as electrochemistry, automation and network communication. This interdisciplinary collaboration emphasizes the importance of recruiting more cross-industry talents to ensure that BESS technology meets future energy needs while ensuring operational efficiency, security and sustainability.

For more information, contact Moxa.