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Battery storage has immense benefits for a lot of commercial businesses, but the hospitality industry may benefit from it the most! Hotels and leisure businesses typically see a large amount of footfall, and with these spaces usually using high-powered appliances, it is a no-brainer to use a solar setup combined with a battery storage system to increase reliability and drive down costs.
Solar energy has changed how we consume electricity. Today, anyone with a compatible solar system on their property can sell directly to the grid, thereby earning passively. Not to mention, you can also drive down costs by offsetting peak hour tariffs and increasing the likelihood of receiving uninterrupted supply, even during outages.
If you are in the hospitality industry, then this guide is just for you. Read on to learn more about solar and battery installation for added resilience and how to get the most out of these systems to power your brand:
Solar technology has reached a point where it has become widely accessible and reliable for generating electricity using sunlight. Battery technology, on the other hand, has empowered property owners to not only save electricity but also drive down costs by using cheaper electricity during high-demand time windows.
The hotel and leisure industry is potentially a highly profitable endeavour, if you can hold down the costs, which can seriously add up if you don’t optimise your business. According to statistics, one of the biggest expenses of this industry isn’t labour or operations, but electricity.
Electricity not only powers the business but also upholds the brand’s image in the eyes of the public. Imagine going to a hotel or leisure space only to experience a total outage. This can be troubling, especially during hot summer evenings when electricity is mostly used for air conditioning and lighting.
This is why hotel battery storage is so important. It provides relief and keeps the brand value intact. These battery systems allow you to store electricity for later use, but their implications go far beyond electricity storage.
For example, if you use an efficient solar PV and pair it with an appropriately sized battery system, then you can even keep trading excess energy during outages, especially on sunny days when the hotel uses less energy and produces excess.
There are three main types of battery storage installations:
DC batteries store Direct Current coming from the source, such as solar panels. This makes the system more efficient since there is no conversion involved, and the energy is stored directly in the battery.
When energy is needed, the system automatically processes the DC and converts it to AC using an inverter and powers the property. The higher efficiency of these batteries is desirable in instances when the setup is simple. During high-demand windows and higher tariffs, the power can be converted to AC and used as needed.
AC batteries are connected after the battery controller/meter. They draw power directly from the grid outside of peak hours. This allows businesses to save money by offsetting the peak hour window by using cheaper electricity stored during off-peak hours. These batteries can also be used as a backup system and can draw on other energy sources as well.
While not as cost-effective and efficient as DC batteries, AC batteries are a reliable and efficient way to save on your energy bills.
Made specifically for solar battery storage solutions, hybrid batteries provide a combination of AC and DC solutions. This versatility makes these systems ideal for the hotel and leisure industry.
Using this system, you can store power before it is converted into AC and do so during cheaper times. The system can also be used as a backup power source. Hybrid battery systems are quickly becoming more popular as they are a great fit for both residential and commercial use.
Here are a few case studies that highlight how these systems operate in the real world:
Located in Edinburgh, Gyle Park, this establishment installed a 100-kW lithium-ion battery backup to help the business bring down costs and increase reliability. The batteries are used to charge during off-peak hours using the grid.
During outages or on-peak hours, the hotel and its restaurant are entirely dependent on the backup system, which comfortably provides more than enough energy. Using this system, the hotel is expected to save thousands of pounds every year. This amount adds to the ROI of the project and provides the business with an edge over its competitors.
This hotel is in Skegness, Lincolnshire and has an ambitious goal to become a net-zero establishment.
The hotel uses a BESS providing around 590 kWh storage with an outstanding 250 kW discharge capability. The on-site battery storage system not only increases resilience but also feeds excess energy back to the grid, lowering the hotel’s carbon footprint and driving down costs.
This hotel is designed to be grid-independent and eventually become net-zero. Located in Consall, Staffordshire, it uses a microgrid with a 600-kW battery storage system that is paired with intelligent controls and an optimised Energy Management System (EMS) that enables the system to intelligently use the stored electricity.
The property features EV chargers, and the hotel plans on expanding its resilience by introducing solar PVs down the road as well. This will not only enable the hotel to reduce its carbon emissions but will also help it steadily reduce costs.
Hotels depend on the grid and its backup systems, which include the BESS to power the property. BESS are managed via an EMS to provide maximum efficiency through a concept called generator steering.
Generator Steering is a function of an energy management system (EMS) that optimises the coordination between generators and battery energy storage systems. The EMS uses this function to improve efficiency and performance by controlling when and how generators and batteries are used to meet the required load of the property.
Generator steering helps BESS in three ways:
The EMS monitors the battery health in real time. This includes checking the battery’s State of Charge or SoC, solar generation, load demand, grid status, and the Depth of Charge for batteries.
The EMS uses historical data and real-time usage statistics to determine the best way to use the system that drives savings and ensures the integrity of the BESS as well. Batteries can be expensive, and not optimising the system can result in unwarranted degradation that can shorten the lifespan of the batteries and disrupt the Return on Investment (ROI) for hotel owners.
By using generator steering, the EMS can intelligently decide when to use the battery, when to charge it, and when to depend on the grid to offset extra charges.
The EMS uses digital controls to automatically transition from the grid to the batteries and back again. This is done seamlessly to ensure that the property receives an uninterrupted supply.
Patrons at the hotel will rarely notice this technology at work because it works extremely well and supplies electricity during multiple scenarios, like outages or peak hours.
The EMS constantly accounts for various factors to make sure that the property receives the most efficient and cheapest electricity possible. It does this by accounting for variables such as the weather, the load demand during different times of the day, and the historical data.
The more the system is used, the more it learns, and the more intelligent it becomes. This means that the system can improve on its own using data that it can analyse either offline on-site or online using cloud computing.
If you are ready to upgrade your hotel and take it to the next level by reducing your dependence on the grid, then the first step is to choose the right battery for your business.
Battery technology is diverse, and there are plenty of avenues that you can explore. In most cases, it is best that you rely on professional help and hire trained technicians from an accredited installation company like Calder Electrical. These technicians will conduct an electrical audit of the property and provide you with a meaningful strategy for achieving your ambitions.
The process of finding the right hotel battery storage begins with a short questionnaire designed to figure out the exact needs of your business.
Here are some important questions that can help you pick the right system:
These questions will help you get a clear picture of the requirements, expectations, and budgeting strategies required for the battery and solar installation for your business.
A battery storage system’s capacity, or how much energy is stored and then used, is generally measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This capacity should match and ideally exceed the total demand for your hotel.
A bit of headroom is kept in the calculation to account for particularly longer outages or bad weather conditions that hinder the system’s ability to generate electricity using the sun.
Hotel and leisure properties require a complex battery system. These batteries must not only last but also provide a good depth of discharge (DoD). Battery storage systems can’t draw 100% of the stored energy and have a depth of discharge, which is an indicator of how much of the total stored energy in the system can be used before the system needs to be recharged.
The DoD protects the batteries from excessive wear and tear and enables the system to maintain efficiency over the long term. For example, if a 10-kWh battery storage system has a DoD of 80%, it will provide 8 kWh of usable energy.
The lifespan of the battery is determined by its total number of charge cycles. The more cycles a battery can provide, the longer it can operate efficiently before degradation. Efficient battery systems can last on average around 10-12 years. However, this is highly dependent on how well the batteries were used and maintained throughout the years.
If the battery was subjected to damage, environmental factors such as heat or cold, or was used beyond its DoD, then you can expect the lifespan to go down significantly. On average, a lithium-ion battery ranges from 4000-6000 cycles at an 80% DoD, which means that their expected life is more than 10 years for high-performing battery storage systems.
In the hotel industry, the goal should not only be to optimise energy usage but also to ensure that the battery system remains efficient throughout its use so that the business can achieve a worthwhile Return on Investment (ROI).
Like every other electrical installation, battery and solar projects require a professional touch. For hotels or particularly large projects, teams of people manage the installation to ensure that the business starts right, and everything is optimised from the get-go.
The installation process is extremely crucial because it affects not only the lifespan of the battery but also its efficiency and, ultimately, the ROI.
Professional installers, like the ones from Calder Electrical, use industry-standard best practices and their decades of experience to provide you with a safe and efficient energy solution. Safety is also an important factor in these types of installation because if the system is installed incorrectly, it can pose a serious threat to commercial properties in terms of electric shocks, fires, burns, and even explosions.
Installers can help hotel owners find the right solution based on their ambitions and budget. They can even help with projects that require the installation of multiple batteries for added storage capacity and resilience.
If you are on board with transitioning to battery and solar technology for your establishment, then the best way to go forward is to discuss your requirements and expectations with a certified installation company.
Calder Electrical Services provides a wide range of solutions to help you play your part in making the world a more sustainable place.
If you wish to have solar panels installed on your residential or commercial property, our experts can conduct a site visit to determine your requirements and propose the best type of solar system for your needs.
We also offer solar battery storage installation so that you can minimise any wastage of the energy you create. This will help lower your energy bills and make you more independent from the grid.
We have been providing electrical services to residential, commercial, and industrial properties for over 40 years and are specialists in all aspects of electrical installations, maintenance, and testing.
All our work is fully insured and meets the current regulations and standards set by the NICEIC. Also, all the notifiable work is signed off by the local authorities.
Contact us here or call us at 0800 612 3001 to get in touch with our professional electricians for more information on solar panels and battery storage systems, and how they can benefit hotels and leisure businesses.
Hotel & Leisure Industry Battery Storage Systems
