Installation has begun on the Alliant Energy battery storage project

Crews have begun creating a battery storage facility for Alliant Energy in the Vennehjem neighborhood.  The battery units were installed on Friday, on the edge of the city's Vennehjem Park.

Alliant wants to test whether the backup power supply batteries can handle excess electricity generated by Alliant customers with solar panels.  The batteries will store electricity during the daytime, when the sun is out and the solar panels are generating electricity.  Then the batteries will release the electricity in the evening, when the production of solar energy has dropped and the demand for electricity has increased.

The project is supported in part by a $250,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant and a $200,000 Iowa Economic Development Authority grant.  Iowa State University is also participating in the project.

The Decorah battery project is expected to go online before the end of this year.  Alliant Energy is hoping that the lessons it learns from the Decorah project can be used to start similar battery storage projects throughout its service area.