Battery energy storage systems
Large-scale battery storage systems make the electricity grid more reliable and help integrate and better manage clean energy sources. Battery storage provides backup power to communities across province when they need it.
About battery storage
Batteries store electricity and release it when demand is high or when clean energy sources (like wind and solar) are low. By storing electricity to use when needed, batteries can help stabilize the electricity grid, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy security by providing backup power quickly during a power outage.
Battery storage provides backup power to communities across the province when they need it.
There are different types of batteries, including:
- lithium-ion batteries – high efficiency and fast response times (the most common type of battery)
- flow batteries – ideal for long-duration energy storage, offering scalability and long lifecycles
- solid-state batteries – a next-generation technology with improved safety and energy density
Benefits of battery energy storage systems
Battery energy storage systems offer many benefits to Nova Scotia, including:
- supporting clean energy – storing excess wind and solar power for use when needed, making clean energy more reliable
- enhancing grid stability – helping balance supply and demand, reducing strain on the electricity grid
- stabilizing energy costs – reducing reliance on peak-time electricity, leading to more stable costs to operate the system
- providing backup power – making sure homes, businesses and critical infrastructure have power during outages
Nova Scotia's battery storage advantage
Nova Scotia has many advantages that can help grow the battery storage sector, including:
- academic leadership and industry innovation – Nova Scotia is a global hub for battery storage research and development, driven by innovative centres like the Jeff Dahn Research Group at Dalhousie University and NOVONIX
- government policy – Nova Scotia’s Clean Power Plan outlines how it will meet its renewable energy targets by bringing more wind and solar energy onto the electricity grid and how battery storage is essential for grid reliability
- pilot projects and investments – a growing number of projects (like Nova Scotia Power’s grid-scale battery storage facilities and smart grid pilot projects in Berwick, White Rock, Bridgewater and Waverley) are making small and large-scale battery storage a reality
Support and training
Nova Scotia has supports to develop the battery storage sector and its workforce. Supports include:
- training programs – Dalhousie University is building Canada’s first Battery Innovation Centre and launching a new Master of Battery Technology program; Nova Scotia Community College offers a range of related courses (like energy storage technologies, renewable energy integration and certification as a wind turbine technician)
- industry collaboration – partnerships among energy providers, research institutions, governments, and technology developers are driving innovation in battery storage
- government support – both federal and provincial governments provide support for research and development in battery technologies, with incentives like Research and Development Tax Credits and the Strategic Innovation Fund
- Clean Economy Grants Program – helps master's students research areas of importance to Nova Scotia's energy sector
- Clean Economy Scholarship Program – helps students entering college or university with a scholarship to gain the skills for work in the renewable energy sector
- Energy Training Program – helps businesses in the energy sector hire post-secondary students and recent graduates
Academic leadership and industry innovation
Dalhousie University is at the forefront of battery research, largely due to the contributions of the Jeff Dahn Research Group. The research group focuses on enhancing battery longevity, efficiency, and safety, essential components for the future of energy storage. They have developed batteries that will last 1 million miles in an electric vehicle and are advancing next-generation battery technologies.
The province’s industry innovation includes companies like NOVONIX, which specializes in high-performance materials for the global lithium-ion battery market. Originating from research conducted at Dalhousie University, NOVONIX's synthetic graphite anode materials are utilized by leading battery manufacturers worldwide, highlighting the province's role in global battery innovation.