Energy Storage and Grid Management
Ensuring Reliability and Flexibility in the Evolving Power Landscape
As the energy transition accelerates, energy storage has emerged as a critical element for managing grid variability, integrating renewables, and enhancing system resilience. From battery systems and hybrid microgrids to large-scale pumped hydro, EPS delivers the technical, financial, and regulatory insight to help clients navigate the complexities of energy storage and modern grid operations.
Industry Challenges and EPS Solutions
Energy storage and grid management hinge on multifaceted challenges spanning design, regulation, and economics:
Technology Selection and System Design
Evaluating different storage mediums—battery (Li-ion, flow, sodium-based), pumped hydro, or emerging alternatives—requires deep technical expertise to identify optimal solutions aligning with site constraints, cost profiles, and operational goals.
Integration with Renewables and Distributed Generation
Coupling storage with intermittent resources like solar or wind demands sophisticated algorithms to handle variability, dispatch schedules, and peak-load management. EPS ensures seamless synergy between multiple generation assets and the grid.
Regulatory Compliance and Market Participation
Energy storage systems must often meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) guidelines, as well as the varied rules set by Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs). EPS guides clients through these regulations, from interconnection standards to market bidding structures.
System Reliability and Grid Resilience
Maintaining frequency, voltage support, and blackstart capabilities under dynamic load conditions can be essential to achieving grid stability. EPS's engineering analyses address potential failure modes and develop strategies for robust resiliency.
Financial Appraisal and Valuation
Energy storage assets involve significant capital expenditures and complex cost-benefit analysis. Accurate valuations must account for incentives, usage profiles, and potential revenue streams—from ancillary services to arbitrage opportunities.
Our Services
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Conducting techno-economic reviews of potential storage projects, including capacity sizing, equipment specifications, and interconnection feasibility.
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Designing storage technologies to work in concert with existing or planned generation assets, substation infrastructure, and control systems.
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Delivering in-depth market analysis and forward-looking projections for storage economics, factoring in energy pricing, ancillary service revenues, and applicable tax incentives.
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Investigating storage system failures, performance shortfalls, or safety incidents to mitigate recurrence risks and support insurance claims or legal proceedings.
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Navigating interconnection applications, permitting, and operational compliance with FERC, RTOs/ISOs, and local entities for seamless market participation.
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Providing rigorous technical and financial testimony where legal disputes arise concerning storage performance, warranty claims, or contractual obligations.
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Evaluating storage assets in portfolios, mergers, or acquisitions to reveal hidden liabilities, confirm asset integrity, and steer informed investment decisions.
Why Choose EPS?
Multidisciplinary Expertise
Our professionals include electrical and chemical engineers, market analysts, and accredited appraisers with deep knowledge of energy storage technologies and grid operations.
Robust Methodologies
EPS employs simulation tools, modeling software, and economic forecasting to create transparent, defensible analyses comprehensible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Regulatory Proficiency
We help ensure compliance with FERC orders, relevant RTO/ISO policies, and local interconnection rules, facilitating smooth project development and market integration.
Litigation and Expert Witness Strength
Decades of engineering and financial expertise enable EPS to clarify complex operational or valuation issues under legal scrutiny and produce relied-upon expert testimony.
Proven Record in Energy Solutions
From microgrids to large-scale infrastructure, EPS's track record features successful outcomes in both established and emerging energy storage technologies.
About Dr. John A. Williams
Leadership in Advanced Energy Engineering and Valuations
Dr. John A. Williams, PE, ASA, MBA, CFEI, AIChE Fellow, is the founder and General Manager of EPS. With over four decades of experience in system design, forensic investigations, and high-stakes energy valuations, Dr. Williams ensures EPS's energy storage projects benefit from comprehensive, data-driven analysis.
Dr. Williams's approach integrates engineering rigor with financial insights, supporting informed decisions for complex storage projects.
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Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) – Machinery & Technical Specialties in Energy
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI) – National Association of Fire Investigators
Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
PhD in Chemical and Fuels Engineering – University of Utah
MBA in Finance – University of Chicago
BS in Chemistry – University of Delaware
Licensed Professional Engineer in more than 20 states