Cutting through the noise: Designing utility-scale batteries for community acceptance
The NIMBY arguments against solar and storage range from the insane, such as
solar panels suck up all the energy from the sun!, to the indisputable, like projects altering rural landscapes.
Regardless of the opinion, it's the priority of the solar + storage developer to hear community concerns and find solutions. One logical issue community members may have with large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) is their noise level.
Residents will be living and working near these systems long after the project developer moves on to the next site.
It’s a valid concern, said Thomas Corbishley, principal consultant for acoustic consulting company Noise Monitoring Services.
Lithium batteries at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, showing their inner workings.
Author's summary: Community acceptance is key for utility-scale batteries.