By Michael Hults 

Battery energy storage is a relatively new technology. Integrating one within an electrical grid system formerly run exclusively by the utilities was a first-of-its kind project for Long Island City, New York.  

IMEG worked with Agilitas Energy and Con Edison to design the Borden Avenue Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project. The goal was to provide battery-generated electricity to area residents and businesses, reducing stress on the Newtown substation when needed, instead of using additional carbon-burning fuel generators or “browning out” the area. (4.8 MW of battery storage can power roughly 4,800 homes for 1 hour.) 

The 10,000-sf site has eight Tesla Mega Pack 2 battery banks and an IMEG-designed 265/460v transformer blockhouse. The project included concrete platforms four feet above grade for all electrical equipment because of flood hazard mapping of the area, which is near Newtown Creek and the Queens Midtown Tunnel. The system also is designed to have a fully automatic deluge fire suppression system to aid in firefighting activities. 

Lithium-ion batteries are often used for these projects and are known for their potential to cause fires because of the chemical reaction needed to discharge energy. While the latest iterations of the batteries are far safer than previous versions, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and New York City only recently began accepting applications for the construction of these systems and imposed new requirements through the FDNY and Office of Technical Certification and Research (OTCR). This project is one of the first through the new outdoor stationary battery system permitting and approvals processes from NYC Department of Buildings (DOB), OTCR, and FDNY Bureau of Fire Protection.  

IMEG provided structural, civil, fire protection, mechanical, and electrical engineering design services and construction management for the project. The team worked with new sets of code and approvals requirements, without case studies or previous projects to rely on—likely setting new standards and processes for the projects that follow. 

The BESS required significant collaboration among owners, designers, NYC DOB and FDNY reviewers, and contractors to meet the new building code and fire requirements.  

The unique project site posed several challenges, including: 

• The design of the cast-in-place concrete structure (a battery platform supporting eight 80,000-pound battery containers, a utility house, and a Con Edison transformer blockhouse) was elevated four feet to meet FEMA requirements for flooding. 

• As designed, the FEMA dry floodproofing had a secondary drainage and sump pump system to remove water that collected on the battery platform. An uninterrupted power supply backed up this system, so even if the site lost all electricity, the pumps would continue to keep the platform clear for more than eight hours of continuous maximum pumping. 

• The property bordered a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) facility yard to the west and a heavy rail train track to the south. The MTA approvals were challenging to obtain given the importance of the two facilities and the project’s location at the mouth of the Queens Midtown Tunnel.  

• The project used a first-of-its-kind fire suppression system triggered by infrared (IR) cameras, which allows the site to be unmanned while still having an additional level of safety beyond a manual-only system. The fire alarm and suppression systems were the first in New York to combine the deluge and IR camera-actuated capabilities for monitoring a BESS. 

Battery storage reduces peak load requirements on Con Edison, reducing the number of carbon-emitting natural gas generators needed and providing redundancy and resilience to the grid. These benefits support area residents and businesses, allowing them to keep their lights on, and providing comfort cooling during the summer.