As electrification continues to increase around the globe, more and more power generators—including utilities—are looking for new sources of generation to keep up with demand. On the most basic level, the push toward more electric vehicles and the electronic devices that drive our day-to-day lives began putting pressure on producers a long time ago. But that pressure has ramped up dramatically and terrifyingly rapidly in the age of AI and datacenters. Almost overnight, the need for energy increased beyond anyone’s expectations.

This series of changes is further complicated by the call from governments and the general public to seek out new, cleaner, more renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy sources are abundant—wind blows, water flows, and the sun shines day after day—however, the strength of those energy sources is intermittent, and intermittency of generation is anathema to the grid. The grid relies on stability and predictability, so companies pursuing renewable energy need to find a way to better manage load.

“When you’re running a traditional generation site, you’d be in a control room and want to trend to a flatline—everybody’s happy; everything’s good. If you see any fluctuation, you worry bad things are going to happen. Conversely, that’s the everyday life for renewables. The sun comes up, the sun goes down, the clouds blow by, and generation is all over the map.”

Battery storage to the rescue

As Marco Villalta and a US utility customer shared at the 2025 Ovation Users’ Group Conference, traditional power plant operations are frequently relying on battery storage to manage energy loads on the grid. When conditions are good and renewable technologies produce a lot of energy, it can be stored in battery arrays instead of being sent directly to the grid. Then, when production is low—often when weather conditions are sub-par—producers can tap into their battery storage to supplement, making sure they meet their delivery obligations regardless of conditions.

But that’s just the beginning. As operations teams get better at managing storage and distribution, battery storage allows them to drive increased profitability. Teams can monitor energy markets and make business decisions, storing energy or releasing it to the grid based on market factors—sell when energy costs are high, store when they are low.

Batteries require a balancing act

While the capabilities of battery storage are impressive, battery solutions are not without their own unique challenges. Marco and the utility representative shared that battery energy storage systems (BESS) are not nearly as hands-off as systems like PV solar. Network design can be challenging. In addition, batteries bring overhead—for example, operators often need to manually charge the systems. In addition, they will also need to calibrate the systems every 20 cycles or so to meet OEM recommendations. This can add significantly to operator workload.

“You’re going to have to do some sort of calibration. The OEMs tell me you can run batteries up to about 20 cycles without calibration.”

Tools like Emerson’s Battery Energy Management System (EMS) can help cut through the complexity of operating a BESS. Battery EMS software provides a specialized algorithm suite to streamline control via out-of-the-box, customizable function blocks. They can help manage energy arbitrage, load leveling, grid stability, reserves maintenance, and more.

BESS software offers multiple layers of control—including both plant control mode and demand distribution—to manage battery solutions more effectively. Plant control mode handles active and reactive power demand. Demand distribution distributes demand across the plant in the safest and most efficient way. Not all batteries will be the same state of charge, nor will they all be in service. Demand distribution helps manage that complexity by using complex algorithms that compare state of charge, state of health, capacity, and more to determine the best, most efficient distribution.

“We have seen in a couple of projects that after a couple of weeks or months, you’re going to have a very balanced system.”

Design well

The presenters also shared that good design is pivotal to a safe and well-run battery system. In the design phase, project teams should engage with the OEM to collect a list of all alarms and faults, clarifying what they mean and what the appropriate operator action is. In addition, they should ensure the BESS will not overtax existing transformers, bus cabling, etc.

Battery systems also generate a lot of data. A BESS can easily have 700 points per megawatt, meaning that organizations need to design for transmitting that much data, including network planning, appropriate protocols, and more.

BESS is a gateway to success

When implemented and operated correctly, and with a comprehensive management software solution like Emerson’s Battery Energy Management System, a BESS can dramatically improve a power generator’s operations. Though the technology is new and continually evolving, the technologies exist to safely design, install, and manage battery storage today. Partnering with an automation solutions provider with decades of experience in the energy industry can help reduce the complexity of implementing BESS and ensure the operations team has the best tools to do their jobs from the very first moments of operation.

“Think about what you want on the front end. Design once and then replicate it.”