What are Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)?

BESSs are energy storage systems that store and then discharge electricity back into the electricity grid when supply is low or when energy is most expensive. Lithium-ion batteries, the same batteries that are used in cell phones and electric vehicles, are the dominant form of energy storage today because they hold a charge longer than other types of batteries, are less expensive, and have a smaller footprint. BESS systems have a range of applications including smaller residential systems, larger commercial systems and public utility systems.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Investment report released June 2025 indicates rapidly falling battery costs over the past decade, with utility-scale batteries now costing a third of what they did in 2015 and attracting more investment than ever. Global spending on battery storage is expected to surge to US$66 billion this year, approaching the level of gas-fired power generation and up significantly from just US$1 billion 10 years ago.

North Frontenac is investigating support of a grid tied public utility BESS project in our township.

Reference:

IEA World Energy Investment Report - 2025

What is the typical lifespan of a BESS project?

The lifespan of a BESS project is expected to be 20 years, after which there is the option to repower the system and continue operating should all parties agree. Batteries can be recycled, with over 95% of the battery materials being reused.

Why is there interest in situating a BESS project in our township?

• BESS projects in general must be in close proximity to high voltage transmission lines that supply a large geographical area given they provide power to tens of thousands of customers. North Frontenac has several high voltage transmission lines running along a corridor that supplies central and eastern Ontario, making it an ideal location for BESS deployment.
• There must be enough unused grid capacity where the BESS connects in order to support the electricity coming from the BESS during discharge cycles. Many Hydro One grid geographies are near maximum capacity, whereas North Frontenac does have the necessary unused capacity.
• BESS projects typically require 10-40 acres of land depending on project size. There are associated cost and availability issues closer to urban centers due to this.
• The Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) places importance on Indigenous support when considering potential sites. The Indigenous communities in North Frontenac currently support such a project.

Benefits

What are the benefits of hosting a BESS site?

Environmental benefits:

Community benefits:

• Lease payments: Land owners (ex. township land) can benefit from consistent lease payments, providing a stable and long-term source of income.
• Property tax: BESS projects contribute to the local economy through property taxes paid over the life of the project.
• Community funds: Developers typically establish community development funds which direct long-term financial support for local projects. These can include public services such as schools, infrastructure and road maintenance, and emergency services. Funding is usually in the range of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year over the life of the BESS contract.
• Employment: There is potential for local job creation. It is estimated that the recently completed Oneida BESS project in southwestern Ontario created 180 local jobs during the peak construction phase. Ongoing local employment is also possible through funding of local projects via the community funds.

Reference:

Oneida BESS commercial operations press release

Visual Impact

What does a BESS site look like?

A BESS site is a fenced area enclosing rows of containers (typically white), service roads, and an electrical substation. The containers house batteries and operations equipment that will look similar to small shipping containers. The substation is composed of transformers and grid tie equipment that will look similar to the one south of the township office on road 506.

The BESS operator typically locates equipment on the site such that visibility and noise is minimized to residents and passersby.

Note that the reference below documents a site that is expected to be somewhat larger (~20%) than what is proposed in North Frontenac.

Reference:

Oneida BESS project launch press release

Noise Impact

What forms of noise are generated from a BESS in operation?

BESS installations have multiple noise sources, including:

• Heating, ventilation and AC cooling (HVAC) systems: Sound from inlet and outlet airflow vents, as well as fans and pumps are emitted from each battery enclosure. The sounds from these systems are similar to heating, ventilation and cooling units in residential and commercial buildings.
• Transformers: You are probably familiar with cylindrical transformers on residential poles. BESS transformers are larger. The sound that most people think of from transformers is a distinctive “hum”. You may be familiar with this sound if you’ve ever been near an outdoor substation.
• Inverters: Inverters convert electricity from battery to grid format. The process of converting power requires very fast switches which change electrical flow. The nature of this sound is typically heard as a buzz.

Reference:

Noise consultant website

How does BESS noise level reduce with distance from the site?

A rough guideline is that loudness reduces by 4 times each time the distance from the site doubles. For example, BESS loudness can be measured 200m from the site. The loudness will be 4 times less (¼) at 400m than it was at 200m. The loudness will be 4 times less (¼) at 800m (1km) than it was at 400m, thus 16 times less (1/16) at 800m than it was at 200m, and so on. Loudness will reduce over distance more quickly in forested areas.

Reference:

Health Canada noise study

(Note that this study pertains to wind turbine noise. Although wind turbine noise composition is different from BESS’s, the reduction in noise levels over distance for all noise sources is mostly the same.)

How do BESS noise levels compare to everyday sounds?

Note that loudness is measured in dBA. There is no need to fully understand the details of this measure, but it is good to know that an increase of 3dBA represents a doubling of loudness. For example, in the table below, a chain saw is shown to be twice as loud as a power mower.

Several technologies can be used to reduce noise escaping from the site (ex. sound walls), so the amount of noise varies widely based on site installation design.

The following table shows a comparison of everyday sounds with BESS noise at various distances from the site. These distances are calculated with the sound attenuation calculator listed in the references section, and are therefore approximations. However, these approximations are worst case given this BESS installation is likely to be situated in a mature forest and not in an open landscape. For example, the table shows that BESS loudness at the installed site can be as high as the sound of a vacuum cleaner. The nearest residents to the proposed site are over 1km away, through a mature forest, so it is intuitive that they would not likely experience any noise.

References:

dBA level comparison chart

Sound Attenuation Calculator

What ensures I will not be impacted by BESS noise?

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) mandates the BESS operating company to commission an acoustic assessment report. The report must be submitted to the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR).

The acoustic assessment report models noise at each existing receptor in the vicinity of the specific BESS being proposed. Receptors can be homes, farms, businesses, etc. The report identifies any receptor with noise above legislated limits, thus requiring some form of adjustment by the BESS operating company prior to in-service operation.

It is fully expected that noise will not be an issue given our BESS installation is rural with no nearby receptors. The acoustic assessment report will ensure this is the case.

References:

MECP website

EASR website

Example acoustic assessment report for a small BESS installation in Almonte, Ontario

Fire/Explosion Risk

Is there a BESS incident risk associated with BESS installations?

Note that the term BESS incident covers both battery fire and contained explosion events.

BESS systems are currently installed with lithium-ion batteries. This battery technology does pose a small incident risk. However, this risk has decreased significantly over the years, dropping by 98% from 2018 to 2024 according to established data from the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The orange line in the chart below shows that incidents per year for a system approximately the size of what is proposed for North Frontenac has trended to almost zero.

Only one BESS incident has occurred in Canada since EPRI started recording data in 2021. It occurred in Brantford, Ontario in 2024. The fire was fully contained with no impact to surrounding buildings or ecosystems. See references below for an associated press release.

Township residents can reasonably expect no BESS incidents throughout the life of the project. However, should an incident occur, modern battery fire procedures are to let the impacted container burn out without water dowsing and without spreading to neighbouring containers. It is reasonable to expect no long term ecosystem damage.

Note that the data above is for publicly announced grid storage related incidents and does not include electric vehicle incident data.

References:

EPRI BESS Failure Incident Database. Accessed 06/04/2025.

Brantford battery fire press release

How are incidents and their impacts minimized in a BESS system?

BESS incidents are significantly reduced by incorporating additional advanced safety features into the system:

• Battery management system (BMS): The BMS helps prevent conditions such as overcharging, over-discharging, and overheating which is essential for maintaining safety and extending battery life.
• Thermal management systems: Various cooling mechanisms prevent overheating depending on the specific requirements of the installation.
• Fire detection, alarms and suppression systems: Early detection of potential fire incidents using smoke, gas, and flame detectors, coupled with automatic suppression mechanisms can prevent major incidents.
• Physical separation and containment: Enclosures are designed to confine any incident and prevent the spread of flames and protect equipment, personnel and ecosystems. Modern BESS designs have a larger number of smaller battery enclosures than the larger enclosure designs in past installations.
• Venting systems: Gas-detection systems automatically trigger when gas concentrations surpass a predetermined threshold. Venting systems can be employed to safely release pressure in the event of an explosion.
• Fail-safe mechanisms: Allows the system to shut down safely in the event of a critical incident.

Modern fire fighting protocols are to let fires of this nature burn themselves out. This minimizes damage to nearby buildings and ecosystems.

Reference:

Safety consultant website