Immersa Ltd
Harnessing Renewable Energy
Behind the Meter: What does it mean?
With the move towards renewable energy becoming more prevalent than ever businesses are becoming more conscious of how their energy is being produced. Behind the Meter Storage offers long term, sustainable solutions to overwhelming grid demands and overcoming disruptions to day-to-day activities. In this blog we are going to look at what Behind the Meter really means and the benefits of integrating this technology into your business.
What is Behind the Meter?
So, what is Behind the Meter? BTM energy refers to electricity that is produced and consumed on-site, without ever passing through the traditional utility meter, through traditional or renewable sources. This setup allows businesses and property owners to generate their own energy ᅳ such as through solar panels, wind turbines, CHPᅳ and use it directly to power their operations.
For example, businesses with high energy demands may choose to invest in onsite renewable generation and add a battery storage system to reduce their reliance on the grid and increase energy autonomy. These “behind the meter” assets are typically smaller, designed specifically for the energy needs of a single site, and help businesses manage energy consumption more efficiently.
One of the largest benefits of a BTM Energy Storage System (BESS) is that any energy you generate on-site belongs entirely to you. Since it never passes through the utility meter, there’s no associated cost, allowing you to use your self-produced energy whenever needed without incurring additional charges, such as transmission and distribution costs that apply to every kWh imported from the grid.
How does Behind the Meter work?
The biggest benefit of adding BESS to your solar panels will probably be the potential for significant cost savings. By maximising the yield from your solar array and strategic charging/discharging, you can decrease the average unit cost of your electricity. This should lead to substantial savings over time, especially for those businesses with particularly high electricity usage.
Here’s a how a typical Behind the Meter system works:
1. Energy Production
Energy is generated on-site through either renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, or through more traditional, non-renewable sources like combined heat and power (CHP) units. This energy is then available for use within the building whenever it is needed. able to constantly operate smoothly, then this should be quite a big consideration.
2. Battery Energy Storage (BESS)
Excess energy produced can be stored within a BESS and saved for a later date. This can then be used when demand on the grid is high and additional energy is needed to run business operations.
3. Energy Consumption
Since the energy is produced and used on-site, it bypasses the traditional meter entirely. Businesses won’t be charged for this energy by the utility company, leading to potential cost savings, especially during peak demand periods.
4. Grid Support Services (Optional)
Some Behind the Meter systems are also connected to the grid, allowing the business to sell excess energy back to their utility company or draw power when their own production falls short. However, the priority is always to use the on-site energy first, which significantly reduces grid dependency.
By installing a BTM system, businesses gain more control over their energy usage, achieve greater reliability, and can potentially lower their overall energy costs while contributing to sustainability goals.
Why do businesses need BTM?
There are many purposes of having BTM installed, the most important being to reduce unpredictably when it comes to reliance on the grid. Across the country, the demand for energy is constantly fluctuating between high and low, and the times at which these demands are needed are almost always changing too. This then puts a strain on the grid and puts businesses at risk of black or brownouts. As a result, many utility companies have introduced time-of-use rates. These impose higher charges during peak demand periods to encourage customers to shift their energy usage to off-peak times.
This is where BTM storage comes in. By introducing battery storage onto sites that have demand for energy there and then, businesses can take advantage of lower energy rates by charging their system during off-peak time and discharging when rates have increased at no additional cost. Not only does this then increase savings on energy bills but it provides energy security to sites where backup is essential should there be an issue with supply from the grid.
Conclusion
Over time, as we continue to help businesses identify new ways of improving their operations and save money, it’s clear Behind the Meter storage proves to be an effective solution time and time again. And, with net zero at the forefront of many, BTM will play a crucial role in getting us one step closer.