Florida Power and Light installs first battery components at world’s largest solar-powered battery storage facility

PARRISH, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida Power & Light Company announced that crews have installed the first battery storage components at the FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center in Parrish, which will be the largest solar-powered battery storage facility in the world.

The storage center is expected to begin serving customers later this year.

409 megawatts of output and 900 megawatt-hours of capacity, the energy storage system will be able to power the equivalent of 329,000 homes for more than two hours and enable customers to enjoy the benefits of solar even when the sun is not shining, such as at night or during inclement weather.

FPL spokesperson Andrew Sutton said this is all part of the journey to clean energy.

“We’re also 40% complete on our goal to install 30 million solar panels by 2030,” said Sutton.

“Energy storage is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to building on our rapid solar expansion and delivering a brighter, more sustainable energy future that all of us can depend on, including the next generation,” said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO.

The newly installed storage container is the first of 132 units that will ultimately be installed onsite. Each unit weighs approximately 38 tons, is roughly 36 feet long by 11 feet in height and width, and will hold roughly 400 battery modules, with each battery module being equivalent to about 2,000 iPhone batteries.

The battery modules will store the extra solar energy produced by the neighboring FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center when the sun’s rays are strongest and send it to the grid when there is a higher electricity demand.

For several years, FPL and its sister companies have researched battery storage technology to study a variety of potential benefits, from grid stabilization to improved solar integration.

In 2018, FPL unveiled the largest combined operating solar and storage power plant at Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County.