NorthStar, CU battery project begins operating

Photos provided by City Utilities of Springfield

The system can power 800 homes for an hour, according to estimates.

NorthStar Battery and City Utilities of Springfield yesterday put into service a battery-powered electricity storage system in southwest Springfield.

Located at CU’s substation on Cox Road just south of Republic Road, the 1,140-battery system cost roughly $1 million to install, with CU and NorthStar splitting the cost, according to Springfield Business Journal reporting. The two parties penned the joint agreement in April.

“We believe that battery energy storage systems, such as the one at City Utilities, will be an integral component in the evolution of the national electrical grid and to the critical adaptation of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, in helping to control climate change,” said Frank Fleming, co-founder of NorthStar Battery, in the release.

Each about twice the size of an average car battery, the new batteries connected to CU’s distribution system are designed to be charged during off-peak energy use periods and implemented when demand peaks. The batteries are estimated to be able to power 800 homes for an hour, or 100 homes for eight hours.

Stockholm, Sweden-based NorthStar, which operates its North American headquarters in Springfield, is tapping into an energy storage system market estimated to grow to $200 billion-$400 billion by 2040, according to data provided by the company.