Introduction
alta Africa provides new energy storage systems suitable for harsh power grids to address power supply issues in regions with poor grid conditions. These systems improve the stability and quality of power supply while reducing the use of diesel and natural gas, noise, and air pollution, and lowering electricity costs.
Through five years of data collection and field testing, and after three product iterations, alta Africa has designed and developed a new energy storage system tailored for regions like Africa with unstable power supply and insufficient grid coverage. Our system can connect to various power sources such as the grid, photovoltaic (solar power), wind power, and generators. It can operate both on-grid and off-grid. Our newly designed dedicated Energy Management System (EMS) enables automatic energy scheduling, prioritising the use of clean energy from solar and wind, followed by grid power, with generators as emergency backup, ensuring a high-quality and stable power supply.
System Features
- Our system can handle input with missing or incorrect AC phases and has an ultra-wide input voltage range.
- The AC input, wind and solar power inputs, as well as loads are completely isolated, preventing damage to the load from poor input power quality.
- The system not only has power inputs but also incorporates battery storage, ensuring no power interruption due to fluctuations in any input power source.
- All power inputs achieve zero-interruption switching, and all power inputs, including backup generators, can be fully automated for start and stop, allowing for completely unattended operation.
Home Appliances: Small Scale Energy Storage System
The Lagos team
System Topology Structure
The system main unit includes a bidirectional inverter (DC/AC), an MPPT photovoltaic controller (DC/DC), and battery charging control. When used independently, the main unit can supply power directly to the load from the AC source when available. If the AC source is unavailable, it switches to battery power (with a 0.2-second power interruption to the load). When there is photovoltaic input, the system always prioritises the use of photovoltaic power.
System Diagram
Our system can be optionally equipped with an isolated charging main unit. In this configuration, a poor-quality AC source charges the battery through the charger, and the photovoltaic input is always prioritised. The bidirectional inverter always operates in inverter mode, preventing the poor-quality grid from supplying power to the load, thus protecting the load from damage. Additionally, during any power source switching or outages, the load is unaffected, ensuring zero-interruption power switching.
3KW Optional Isolation Charging
When a single unit capacity of 5KW is insufficient to meet load demands, multiple units can be paralleled, with a maximum of six units in parallel to achieve a 30KW power supply system. This system not only supports parallel operation to provide AC220V output but also allows for three units to output in phase shift mode, enabling three-phase four-wire AC380V output. Additionally, it supports unequal phase expansion to meet various power supply requirements.
Configuration
The standard configuration of the system's battery pack has a single group capacity of 5.12KWh. According to system requirements, up to 16 battery groups can be configured, reaching a maximum capacity of 81.92KWh. The system, with a maximum capacity of 30KW, can still support operation for more than 2 hours during a power outage at full power. Typically, under a household load of less than 10KW, it can support operation for 6-8 hours during a power outage.
Industrial and Commercial Modular Energy Storage Systems
For commercial and industrial users, such as shopping malls, hotels, government office building and hospitals, alta can offer a fully isolated commercial energy storage system. This system not only ensures stable power supply but also achieves N+1 hot redundancy, providing the most stable power supply at the lowest cost. In addition to supplying stable AC power to loads, the system can be optionally equipped with our charging modules to charge various electric vehicles, making it suitable for use as a charging station. It can also be used as a commercial and industrial energy storage system with additional charging piles.
System Diagram
The core of the entire system is divided into four parts: AC input, photovoltaic (PV) input, AC output, and energy storage batteries, with the option to add a charging system. The entire system features a fully modular design, with the following design principles:
Photovoltaic Input
Based on the installation conditions and the available PV capacity, the appropriate PV input capacity can be selected, with 62.5KW as a single unit. The system can connect up to 20 PV units simultaneously.
AC Output
Based on actual load requirements, the appropriate AC output units can be selected to meet load demands. AC output units come in four specifications: 50KW, 63KW, 80KW, and 105KW. Units of the same specification can be paralleled up to six groups.
N+1 Hot Redundancy Function
Since each part of the system adopts a modular design, if any module fails during operation, it will automatically exit without affecting the function of the entire system. Therefore, in practical use, an extra module is configured for each type of module.
For example, if 200KW AC input is required, four 50KW units can be configured, and an additional one can be added, making a total of five AC input modules. If any module fails during operation, the system can still operate at full capacity. In this case, the system's backup capacity is only 25%, achieving full-power hot backup with minimal cost for the most stable system power supply.
AC Input
Depending on the average blackout and supply duration in the area, the system configuration battery capacity, and the desired charging time, the appropriate AC input capacity can be selected, with 50KW as a single unit. The system can connect up to 20 AC input units simultaneously.
Energy Storage Batteries
Single battery capacities can be chosen from 164KWh and 245.7KWh. Multiple battery groups can be selected based on the required outage support duration and the necessary PV storage capacity. The system can connect up to 20 battery groups simultaneously.
Charging Piles
Different charging piles and interfaces can be selected according to actual needs and charging objects. Charging piles are available in three specifications: DC 0-90V (4KW-40KW), DC 50-200V (7KW-140KW), and DC 200-750V (15KW-400KW).
The system can simultaneously be equipped with multiple charging piles of different specifications to meet the charging needs of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, low-speed electric vehicles, cars, trucks, and buses.
Conclusion
Our energy storage systems offer a transformative solution to the power supply challenges in regions with unstable grids, as seen in Africa. Through research and innovation, we've developed systems that stabilise power, reduce pollution, and lower costs. With seamless integration of various power sources, scalability, and uninterrupted power supply, our systems represent a sustainable pathway towards reliable energy access, empowering communities and driving positive change.