Battery Storage
TotalView models behind-the-meter battery storage for solar and wind projects. Batteries charge from project generation when renewable output is high and discharge during peak grid demand, maximizing fossil-fuel displacement.
Key characteristics
Section titled “Key characteristics”- Batteries only charge from project generation — never from the grid.
- Charging reduces renewable energy sent to the grid in that hour.
- Discharging delivers stored renewable energy during peak-demand hours.
- Total project contribution = direct generation + battery-stored generation.
Configuration
Section titled “Configuration”Set on the project (or a scenario override). See the create-project schema for the full field list.
| Field | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
battery_flag | Enable storage | false |
battery_capacity_mwh | Total energy capacity (MWh) | required when enabled |
battery_duration_hours | Capacity ÷ power ratio (2–4 typical) | 2.0 |
battery_charge_rate_mw / battery_discharge_rate_mw | Max power | auto: capacity / duration |
battery_round_trip_eff | Round-trip efficiency | 0.85 |
battery_soc_min | Minimum state-of-charge reserve | 0.1 |
battery_chemistry | lfp (default), nmc811, nmc622 | lfp |
{ "tech_type_id": "solar_ground", "nameplate_capacity": 1000, "battery_flag": true, "battery_capacity_mwh": 1700, "battery_duration_hours": 2, "battery_round_trip_eff": 0.85, "battery_soc_min": 0.1}→ 1000 MW solar, 1700 MWh / 2 h ⇒ auto 850 MW charge/discharge, 85% efficiency, 10% reserve.
Dispatch
Section titled “Dispatch”- Charge window — 5 hours centered on the day’s peak solar hour. Charge is limited by the lesser of available generation, charge rate, or remaining capacity.
- Discharge window — 5 hours centered on the day’s peak demand hour. Cannot discharge below the minimum SOC reserve.
Round-trip efficiency
Section titled “Round-trip efficiency”Losses occur on charging only. Stored energy = charged energy × efficiency; discharge then outputs at full rate from what’s actually stored.
Charge 1000 MWh from solar → store 850 MWh → discharge 850 MWh. Net round-trip = 85%.
Energy accounting
Section titled “Energy accounting”The SUN (and WND) generation column already includes battery discharge and
is already reduced by battery charging — so the energy balance is conserved
with no double-counting. Separate solar_battery_charge /
solar_battery_discharge columns are provided for visibility only.
This is why SUN shows generation at night — that’s daytime solar released
from the battery.
How it affects LCA results
Section titled “How it affects LCA results”Discharge displaces generation during peak hours (typically a dirtier grid); charging shifts load into solar hours (typically cleaner). The net impact depends on marginal emission rates at each time — see LCIA Results.