Balance of Plant

Balance of plant is everything in a battery storage plant that isn't the main equipment. The DC blocks, PCS, main transformer, substation and plant controller are the core system; BoP is everything else that connects and supports them — the e-house, medium-voltage switchgear, cabling, protection, metering, power-quality equipment and the civil works that tie the plant to the grid.

BoP usually splits into two families. Electrical BoP (EBoP): e-houses and power distribution centers, medium-voltage switchgear, step-up and auxiliary transformers, cabling, earthing and lightning protection, protection relays, metering and power-quality equipment. Civil BoP (CBoP): foundations, access roads, drainage, cable trenching, fencing and security. Exactly where the line sits can vary by project and contract.

No. The DC blocks (batteries), power conversion system, main step-up transformer, high-voltage substation and plant controller / SCADA are treated as the main equipment. Balance of plant is everything else around them, though the precise boundary depends on how a project is scoped and procured.

Match each component to your grid connection and site: the voltage level and rating of the switchgear and transformer, the enclosure and climate rating of the e-house, and the metering and power-quality equipment your grid code requires. Browse this directory by category to compare suppliers.