Why 2019 RFPs Still Matter for Energy Storage Today

Remember when avocado toast was just breakfast, not a generational economic indicator? The 2019 stand alone energy storage RFPs feel similarly nostalgic yet surprisingly relevant. These proposals laid groundwork for today's battery storage boom, with over 2,100MW of projects awarded through competitive solicitations that year alone.

Key Trends From 2019 Storage RFPs

• Four-hour duration systems dominated 78% of awarded projects
• 70% of proposals required black start capability (the grid's "jumpstart" feature)
• Bid prices dropped 23% compared to 2018 - averaging $210/kW-month

The Secret Sauce of Winning Proposals

Successful respondents didn't just check boxes - they served a five-course technical meal with financial crème brûlée for dessert. California's Elk Grove Resilience Project stood out by:

• Combining lithium-ion batteries with flywheel technology
• Offering dual-use grid services (like playing both offense and defense simultaneously)
• Including a cybersecurity plan that impressed even paranoid IT directors

3 Common RFP Mistakes That Made Evaluators Facepalm

1. Forgetting interconnection studies (the grid equivalent of not checking if your USB plug fits)
2. Overpromising response times faster than a caffeinated cheetah
3. Using 2018 safety standards in 2019 submissions - rookie move!

Where 2019 Meets 2023: Storage Tech Evolution

Those 2019 RFPs required systems that could dance the Macarena - today's projects need TikTok-ready moves. The NREL's 2023 Storage Futures Study shows:

Metric	2019 Requirement	2023 Expectation
Cycle Life	4,000 cycles	15,000+ cycles
Response Time	100ms	20ms (faster than a hummingbird's wing flap)

Emerging Tech That Would've Blown 2019 Evaluators' Minds

• Iron-air batteries (the "rusty but trusty" solution)
• AI-driven predictive maintenance systems
• Modular storage units that expand like LEGO blocks

Lessons From the 2019 RFP Frontlines

PG&E's Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility - born from 2019 RFPs - now powers 225,000 homes. Their secret? Treating proposal development like speed dating:

1. First 5 pages: Show your technical muscles (but don't flex too hard)
2. Middle section: Prove your financial sobriety
3. Closing arguments: Channel your inner poet about grid resilience

Meanwhile, Arizona's Pueblo De Esperanza project taught us that sometimes the best storage sites aren't where you expect - their battery farm shares land with a solar-powered tamale factory. Talk about distributed energy!

The Permitting Maze: 2019 vs Now

Back in 2019, developers needed 14 permits on average. Today's streamlined processes? More like 9 permits, but with three new cybersecurity hoops to jump through. Progress isn't always linear, folks.

Future-Proofing Your Storage Strategy

While analyzing stand alone energy storage request for proposals 2019 data, a pattern emerges: The winners all planned for technology agnosticism. Translation? They designed systems that could accommodate:

• Different battery chemistries (like keeping your options open on Tinder)
• Multiple revenue streams (stacking grid services like pancakes)
• Climate resilience features (because 115°F isn't just for Death Valley anymore)

The Texas Freeze of 2021 proved this approach's value - projects with dual-temperature tolerance systems outperformed others by 40% during the crisis. Moral of the story? Always prepare for weather that can't decide if it wants to be a sauna or freezer.

Download Stand Alone Energy Storage Request for Proposals 2019: What You Need to Know in 2023 [PDF]

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