HANDBOOK FOR

ENERGY STORAGE
SYSTEMS
ABOUT THE ENERGY MARKET AUTHORITY

The Energy Market Authority (“EMA”) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Our main goals are to ensure a reliable and secure energy supply, promote effective competition
in the energy market, and develop a dynamic energy sector in Singapore. Through our work, EMA
seeks to forge a progressive energy landscape for sustained growth.

Website: www.ema.gov.sg

Facebook: facebook.com/EnergyMarketAuthority

Instagram: @EMA_Singapore | Twitter: @EMA_Sg

Energy Market Authority

Republic of Singapore
CONTENT PAGE

Foreword I
Acknowledgements II
Abbreviations and Acronyms II
1. Energy Storage Systems (ESS) 1
1.1 Introduction 2
1.2 Types of ESS Technologies 3
1.3 Characteristics of ESS 3
1.4 Applications of ESS in Singapore 4
1.4.1 Energy Market Participation 5
1.4.2 Provision of Ancillary Services 5
1.4.3 Consumer Energy Management 6
2. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) 7
2.1 Introduction 8
2.2 Types of BESS 9
2.3 BESS Sub-Systems 10
3. BESS Regulatory Requirements 11
3.1 Fire Safety Certification 12
3.2 Electrical Installation Licence 12
3.3 Electricity Generation or Wholesaler Licence 13
3.4 Connection to the Power Grid 14
3.5 Market Participation 14
4. Guide to BESS Deployment 15
4.1 Role of a BESS System Integrator 16
4.2 Appointing a BESS System Integrator 16
5. Operation and Maintenance 19
5.1 Operation of BESS 20
5.2 Recommended Inspections 21
6. Conclusion 22
6.1 Energy Future of Singapore 23
Appendices
Appendix A. Design and Installation Checklist 25
Appendix B. Contact Information 27
Appendix C. Examples of ESS Deployments in Singapore 28
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Power output of a 63 kWp solar PV system on a typical day in Singapore 2
Figure 2: Types of ESS Technologies 3
Figure 3: Applications of ESS in Singapore 4
Figure 4: Global BESS deployments 8
Figure 5: Examples of BESS and battery chemistries 9
Figure 6: Image of a Lithium-Ion Battery 9
Figure 7: Model of a typical BESS 10
Figure 8: Screenshots of a BMS [Courtesy of GenPlus Pte Ltd] 20
Figure 9: Self-Regulating Integrated Electricity-Cooling Networks (“IE-CN”)
at the Marina Bay district cooling system [Courtesy of Singapore District Cooling
Pte Ltd] 28
FOREWORD

During the 12th Singapore International Energy Week in 2019, Minister for Trade & Industry, Mr Chan
Chun Sing spoke about Singapore’s Energy Story. This was about transcending the challenges of the
energy trilemma - to keep our energy supply affordable, reliable and sustainable. He also announced
that Singapore would set its installed solar capacity target to at least 2 gigawatt-peak by 2030, enough
to power about 350,000 households for a year.

Singapore has limited renewable energy options, and solar remains Singapore’s most viable clean
energy source. However, it is intermittent by nature and its output is affected by environmental and
weather conditions such as cloud cover. To overcome this challenge, we are deploying Energy Storage
Systems (“ESS”) which has the ability to store energy for later use. ESS not only addresses solar
intermittency, but also enhances grid resilience by actively managing mismatches between electricity
supply and demand. As part of the Energy Story, Singapore has put forth a target to deploy 200
megawatts of ESS beyond 2025 to support the increased deployment of solar.

To facilitate ESS adoption in Singapore, EMA has worked with various regulatory agencies and
industry stakeholders to develop this Handbook for Energy Storage Systems. This handbook outlines
various applications for ESS in Singapore, with a focus on Battery ESS (“BESS”) being the dominant
technology for Singapore in the near term. It also serves as a comprehensive guide for those who
wish to install BESS in Singapore.

We hope that this handbook will help readers better understand the opportunities presented by ESS
and encourage the support of ESS deployment in Singapore.

MR BERNARD NEE
Deputy Chief Executive
Energy Planning and Development Division
Energy Market Authority
Singapore

I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the following organisations for their support and contributions to the
development of this handbook:
1. Durapower Technology (Singapore) Pte Ltd
2. Energy Market Company Pte Ltd
3. GenPlus Pte Ltd
4. Singapore Civil Defence Force
5. SP Group
Cover photo courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Alternating Current AC
Battery Energy Storage Systems BESS
Battery Management System BMS
Battery Thermal Management System BTMS
Depth of Discharge DOD
Direct Current DC
Electrical Installation EI
Energy Management System EMS
Energy Market Company EMC
Energy Storage Systems ESS
Factory Acceptance Test FAT
Hertz Hz
Intermittent Generation Sources IGS
Kilovolt-amperes kVA
Kilowatt-peak kWp
Licensed Electrical Worker LEW
Market Participant MP
Megawatt MW
Megawatt-hour MWh
Operation and Maintenance O&M
Photovoltaic PV
Power Conversion System PCS
Qualified Person QP
Registered Inspector RI
Singapore Civil Defence Force SCDF
Singapore Tourism Board STB
Site Acceptance Test SAT
SP Power Grid SPPG
SP Services SPS
State-of-Charge SOC
State-of-Health SOH
System Integrator SI

II
ENERGY
STORAGE SYSTEMS 01
1. Energy Storage Systems Handbook for Energy Storage Systems

1.1 Introduction

Energy Storage Systems (“ESS”) is a group of systems put together that can store and release energy
as and when required. It is essential in enabling the energy transition to a more sustainable energy
mix by incorporating more renewable energy sources that are intermittent in nature - such as solar
and wind. Such energy sources are also commonly known as intermittent generation sources (“IGS”).

70

60

50
Power output (kW)

40

30

20

10

0
6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00

Figure 1: Power output of a 63 kWp solar PV system on a typical day in Singapore

As shown in Figure 1, the power output of a 63 kilowatt-peak (“kWp”) solar photovoltaic (“PV”)
system deployed in Singapore fluctuates throughout the day. These fluctuations are a result of
Singapore’s tropical weather conditions. For example, extensive cloud cover on rainy days can cause
a significant drop in solar power output. Such variations in solar power output can cause imbalances
in electricity supply and demand and affect the stability of the power grid.

To ensure that the power system remains stable and reliable, power system operators will require
power generators to be more flexible and responsive to address the intermittency from IGS. ESS’s
unique ability to store energy produced at a particular time for later use can help the system respond
to power fluctuations when required. This will help to smoothen the variable power output and
facilitate the integration of IGS into the power grid.

2
1. Energy Storage Systems Handbook for Energy Storage Systems

1.2 Common Types of ESS

ESS technologies can be classified into five categories based on the form in which energy is stored.

Upper
Reservoir

Mechanical
Turbine/
• Pumped Hydro Energy Storage
Pump Lower • Compressed Air Energy Storage
Reservoir
• Flywheel

Electrochemical
• Lead Acid Battery
• Lithium-Ion Battery
• Flow Battery

Thermal
• Hot-Water Storage
H2O • Molten-Salt Energy Storage
• Phase Change Material Storage

Supercapacitor Electrical
• Supercapacitor
• Superconducting Magnetic
Energy Storage

Chemical
• Hydrogen
• Synthetic Natural Gas

Figure 2: Types of ESS Technologies1

1.3 Characteristics of ESS

ESS is defined by two key characteristics – power capacity in Watt and storage capacity in Watt-
hour. Power capacity measures the instantaneous power output of the ESS whereas energy capacity
measures the maximum amount of energy that can be stored.

Depending on their characteristics, different types of ESS are deployed for different applications.
For example,

i. Flywheel, which spins at high speed ii. Pumped Hydro Energy Storage, which
to store energy as rotational energy, pumps large amount of water to a higher-
is more effective in applications level reservoir, storing as potential energy,
where high-power output is required is more suitable for applications where
for short durations. energy is required for sustained periods.

In comparison, electrochemical ESS such as Lithium-Ion Battery can support a wider range of
applications. Their power and storage capacities are at a more intermediate level which allow for
discharging power at a relatively high output for a reasonable time period.

1
Electricity Storage Factbook, SBC Energy Institute 2013 3