Enel X and Imperial Oil: the largest behind-the-meter Storage in North America

In fact the BESS will enable Imperial Oil to reduce onsite emissions, charging the battery at night when the availability of renewable energy on the grid is highest and respond quickly to changing demand and supply conditions to dispatch the battery during periods of high peak demand. This will deliver significant cost savings to Imperial Oil, reducing the Sarnia plant ‘s reliance on the grid during peak demand periods.

Enel X will build, own, and operate the BESS for Imperial Oil at no upfront cost as the client chose our “Benefit Share” business model. Furthermore, Imperial Oil knew this energy storage project would be right for the environment, providing multiple benefits to the local grid and community, as well as reducing operational costs at the Sarnia plant.

With this new project, Enel X has grown its energy storage footprint in Ontario to more than 60 MW of capacity contracted and in operations.

Behind-the-meter or BTM is energy produced by an energy asset that is used by a customer on-site. It can include technologies such as rooftop solar PV systems, battery storage, or small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) systems. BTM storage systems are often regarded as belonging to one of two classes, either “utility-scale” (above 100 kW – 1 MWh) or “commercial and industrial” (below 100 kW – 1 MWh). Larger BTM projects generally compete with other technologies, such as utility-scale solar or wind.

Front-of-the-meter battery storage or FTM energy instead, is energy produced by an energy asset and consumed by a third party.

The growth of renewable energy means power grids need to become more flexible and resilient. As electrical systems are gradually becoming digital, we’re witnessing a rapid and radical transformation of the energy market, which is shifting to a decentralized system in which consumers generate the energy they need and offload the surplus onto the grid. Due to these trends, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is becoming a key technology to support the energy transition. Enel X is among the leading global system integrators of the BTM BESS. 

We offer three turnkey solutions — Standalone Storage, Solar-plus-Storage, and Microgrid — which are designed around our customers’ needs and business priorities, enabling them to lower electricity bills, improve sustainability across the supply chain and activate backup power to avoid disruptions. Regardless of the chosen solution, the key enabler of these benefits is Enel X’s cutting-edge DER Optimization Software (DER.OS), which powers the BESS from behind the scenes.