ARES Performance

An ARES facility will provide the full range of energy storage capabilities generally associated with pumped-storage hydro at approximately 60% of the capital cost and at a significantly higher efficiency.  Additionally, ARES has system features which are not traditional to competing forms of energy storage, including but not limited to the following attributes:
 
Reactive Power Production – The shuttle-trains onboard Dual 3-Level Active Rectifier/Invertors are capable of supplying 25% of generated system power as reactive power for grid VAR support in full discharge mode and in excess of 100% of system power as reactive power while synchronized to the grid in standby.

Heavy Inertia – When in direct grid synchronization the ARES shuttle-trains provide beneficial heavy inertia -- augmenting grid stability against the loss of heavy generating facilities and increasing reliance on solar energy.

High Efficiency Regulation – While providing Regulation-Up and Regulation-Down support to the ISO a separate dedicated pool of loaded ARES shuttle-trains are available to dispatch from mid-system elevation complying with ISO regulation commands without having to overcome the efficiency loss of operating on pre-stored energy.  As such an ARES facility is able perform a round-trip regulation Reg-Up/Reg-Down command at over an 86% operating efficiency.

Variable Output at Constant Efficiency – Unlike CAES and pumped-storage hydro there is no loss of system pressure during discharge.  ARES system efficiency is constant over the full range of discharge and power output.