"In the back of Black Seed Bagels in northern Brooklyn is a giant catering kitchen filled with industrial-size containers of condiments and freezers full of dough. A tall, silver electric oven named the Baconator stands in a far corner, cooking thousands of pounds of meat every week to accompany Black Seed's hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels. The Baconator is connected to a battery the size of a carry-on suitcase, which is plugged into the wall."
"Businesses like Black Seed often pay hefty demand charges on their utility bills that reflect the maximum amount of power they use during a month costs that can represent as much as half their total bill, on average. By shifting to battery power during key times, Black Seed aims to lower its peak grid needs and reduce monthly fees from the utility Con Edison in the process."
"Black Seed is part of a battery pilot programme run by David Energy, a New York-based retail energy provider. The startup supplied the batteries for free last August and, using its software platform, controls exactly when the three appliances draw on backup power. Vivek Bhagwat, David Energy's head of engineering, said he expected that tapping batteries for the refrigerators which are always humming would be especially helpful during the hottest months, when the shop's air conditioners run around the clock."
Black Seed Bagels uses a 2.8-kilowatt-hour battery to directly power a commercial oven called the Baconator during morning rushes, reducing reliance on the electric grid. Two additional batteries are paired with energy-intensive refrigerators at the front of the shop. Businesses often pay hefty demand charges based on monthly peak power use, which can represent as much as half of total utility bills. By shifting appliances to battery power during key times, Black Seed seeks to lower peak grid demand and reduce monthly fees from Con Edison. David Energy supplied the batteries for free and uses software to control appliance draw, and tapping batteries for constantly running refrigerators is expected to curb summer energy use when air conditioners run around the clock.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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