GE announced to supply Con Edison Development (CED) with an 8 MWh battery energy storage system in Central Valley, California. The new storage solution will be utilizing GE’s Mark VIe-based plant control system, Brilliance MW Inverters, and packaged lithium ion battery modules. The site is expected to be operational in the next six to nine months.

As part of its expanding energy storage portfolio, this project marks the first time GE will introduce a lithium ion battery solution. The system will provide two megawatts of power over a four-hour period, and the deal includes delivery of a complete energy storage system, with associated long-term service agreements.

“GE is committed to the energy storage business,” said Jeff Wyatt, general manager of GE’s solar and energy storage units. “Our goal is to help our customers provide flexibility across the grid by combining our expertise in plant controls, power electronics, systems engineering, and fundamental battery knowledge. The recent addition of lithium ion technology complements our Durathon battery offering and gives customers more flexibility in meeting their specific site application needs.”

Working with CED, GE utilized advanced analytics and modeling to evaluate potential benefits of the energy storage system. The California-based installation will be CED’s first energy storage project and will serve as a learning tool for optimizing and operating energy storage facilities in the future.

The state of California has encouraged investments in energy storage in recent years. In 2013, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced targets that call for California investor-owned utilities to procure 1.325 GW of cost-effective energy storage by 2020.