Storage reference
Behind-the-meter storage value depends on the dispatch objective and interval evidence.
Direct answer
Behind-the-meter storage can support demand management, Global Adjustment strategy, energy shifting, or resilience, but none is automatic. Power, usable energy, duration, efficiency, state of charge, interval load, controls, tariff, outage objective, and local safety requirements govern the result.
· Technology reference
Code-native diagram
Behind-the-meter storage flow
Site load, tariff signal, battery limits, controls, and the grid boundary determine a dispatch result.
| Step | Evidence question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Interval load |
| 2 | Tariff or outage signal |
| 3 | Battery and controls |
| 4 | Metered result |
Conceptual geometry only. The official source basis and verification date are listed in the evidence rail on this page.
Name one primary operating objective
Demand management targets a billed peak. Global Adjustment strategy targets contribution during IESO system peaks. Energy shifting moves energy between time periods. Resilience supports selected loads during an outage when the complete electrical design allows it.
A project may combine objectives, but the controller needs priorities and reserve rules.
Power and energy answer different questions
Power in kW limits the instantaneous charge or discharge rate. Usable energy in kWh limits duration. Duration is usable energy divided by discharge power before additional operating constraints.
Round-trip efficiency, state-of-charge limits, degradation, temperature, auxiliary load, reserve, and warranty conditions reduce the simple nameplate bound.
Annual savings require interval and tariff evidence
A demand-charge result needs interval demand, the controlling tariff, event duration, dispatch, recharge, and efficiency. A Global Adjustment result also needs class and IESO settlement evidence. Energy shifting needs separate import and export values by time.
Enerwav does not claim automatic savings or annualize value from annual consumption alone.
Rated energy does not establish backup performance
A resilience design needs the protected-load definition, outage duration, islanding and transfer arrangement, source coordination, black-start behaviour, charging source, reserve, environment, maintenance, testing, and operating procedures.
The Explorer does not calculate backup runtime.
The authority having jurisdiction controls
The National Fire Code of Canada 2025 is a national model-code reference. This evidence set does not establish the locally adopted code edition. The design team must confirm requirements with the authority having jurisdiction and the utility.
Transport Canada research informs hazard awareness within its stated transport and marine scope. It is not converted into a land-installation rule. Enerwav does not reproduce paywalled standards text.
Define the controller's primary objective
Demand management, Global Adjustment response, energy shifting, and resilience require different signals and reserve rules. A controller cannot maximize all of them at the same time when energy or power is limited. The owner should rank the objectives and define which one can override another.
The operating plan should identify the target, forecast or trigger, response time, discharge limit, reserve, recharge rule, unavailable conditions, manual override, communication path, and measurement method. A secondary value should remain conditional until the primary operating strategy leaves capacity for it.
Create a power, energy, and duration record
Power in kW limits the instantaneous charge or discharge rate. Usable energy in kWh limits how long that rate can be sustained. Duration is usable energy divided by discharge power only at a stated operating point and before additional limits.
The record should include nameplate and usable energy, charge and discharge power, state-of-charge window, reserve, efficiency, temperature range, auxiliary load, warranty limits, degradation basis, availability, inverter limits, and control response. Enerwav does not infer usable energy from nameplate alone.
Simulate dispatch on interval evidence
Demand and energy-shifting value need interval load, tariff periods, event duration, recharge, efficiency, and controller logic. A Global Adjustment strategy also needs class, base-period contribution, forecast events, and settlement evidence. Resilience needs a protected-load profile and outage operating sequence.
The simulation should show state of charge through time and flag missed targets, power-limited intervals, energy exhaustion, recharge peaks, reserve conflicts, and unavailable equipment. Annual consumption cannot reveal those conditions. Enerwav therefore refuses to annualize storage value from annual load alone.
Separate resilience from bill optimization
Rated energy does not establish backup runtime. A resilience design needs the protected-load list, critical and non-critical separation, outage duration, islanding and transfer arrangement, grounding, source coordination, black-start behavior, charging source, reserve, communications, environment, maintenance, testing, and operating procedures.
A grid-connected battery may not supply loads during an outage unless the complete system is designed and approved for that mode. Bill savings and backup capability should be modeled separately, then reconciled where a resilience reserve reduces economic dispatch.
Use national references without claiming local adoption
The National Fire Code of Canada 2025 is a national model-code reference. The applicable local edition and requirements depend on adoption and the authority having jurisdiction. The design team should confirm building, fire, electrical, utility, emergency-response, permitting, and inspection requirements for the site.
Transport Canada research supports hazard awareness within its stated transport and marine scope. It is not converted into a land-installation rule. The NRCan battery ecosystem source provides standards orientation, but Enerwav does not reproduce paywalled requirements or claim certification for a proposed system.
Request evidence that matches the operating case
The procurement package should request equipment ratings, usable-energy basis, efficiency conditions, thermal limits, degradation and warranty terms, controls, communications, cybersecurity responsibilities, safety documentation, certifications, installation requirements, commissioning tests, maintenance, spare parts, training, emergency response, and performance reporting.
Acceptance testing should use the declared operating objective. A demand-management system should demonstrate the control and measurement path for a representative event. A resilience system should demonstrate the approved transfer and protected-load sequence. A general factory rating does not prove site performance.
Model storage aging from the selected warranty and duty
Battery aging depends on the selected technology, operating window, temperature, throughput, calendar time, maintenance, and warranty terms. The photovoltaic degradation source used elsewhere on Enerwav does not support a storage aging assumption. Storage capacity fade should remain an explicit project input tied to vendor and engineering evidence.
The financial model should distinguish initial usable energy, warranted retention, augmentation, replacement, downtime, and end-of-term obligations. A warranty limit is not the same as expected performance, and a nameplate duration should not be held constant through the project term without support.
Review dispatch evidence throughout operation
The operating review should compare commanded and actual power, delivered energy, state of charge, efficiency, temperature, alarms, unavailable time, missed events, recharge, reserve, tariff outcomes, and maintenance. The review period should match the objective and billing or settlement method.
When the site load, tariff, Global Adjustment class, outage objective, equipment, controls, or warranty changes, update the dispatch model. Historical savings should remain tied to the period and source data used rather than extrapolated automatically.
A claimed saving should reconcile to the final bill or settlement determinant and disclose excluded events, outages, and operating changes.
The owner should retain raw interval records and controller logs so later reviewers can reproduce the calculation.
Preserve tariff versions, firmware changes, overrides, alarms, maintenance, and meter corrections with those records.
Connect storage screening to critical-power planning
Behind-the-meter energy storage and uninterruptible power systems solve different continuity problems. Define protected loads, transfer behaviour, runtime, maintenance, and testing before selecting either system.
For an existing critical-power estate, review APC UPS maintenance and service guidance when the project scope includes service condition, maintenance history, or lifecycle planning.
For application-specific backup requirements, use UPS consultation and installation support to compare load, runtime, installation environment, and commissioning needs with the Enerwav storage screen.