BESS equipment calculator

DC blocks, PCS & MV skids, and the E-house for any BESS capacity, computed with the same catalog and pairing rules the layout tool applies.

I know my project's
Duration
DC block energy (20 ft container)
Equipment count64 DC blocks16 × 40 ft PCS & MV skid · 1 E-house
Installed capacity400 MWh100 MW · 64 × 6.25 MWh
E-house40 ftMV + control + aux · 50–100 MW
Est. equipment area1.4 acres

Counts follow the solver's Auto rules: one PCS & MV skid per DC cluster, Quad (2×2) clusters first. Generate the full layout to see them placed on your site.

How it works

  1. 1
    Enter the project sizeBy power (MW) or energy (MWh), whichever the project is specified in. With power, the duration completes the energy: MWh = MW × hours.
  2. 2
    Pick duration and DC blockDuration sets the power-to-energy ratio and decides Twin skid formats; the DC block chip switches between the 6.25 MWh current-generation container and the 5.016 MWh 2-hour block.
  3. 3
    Read the equipment listDC block count, the PCS & MV skid mix, the E-house format, and the estimated equipment area, all from the same catalog and rules the layout tool uses.

Frequently asked questions

How many DC blocks does a BESS project need?

Divide the energy capacity by the DC block energy and round up. Current-generation 20 ft DC blocks hold 6.25 MWh, so a 400 MWh project needs 64 of them. Earlier-generation 5.016 MWh blocks (2-hour systems) need 80 for the same energy.

What is a DC block?

The containerized battery unit: cells, racks, BMS, and liquid cooling in one 20 ft enclosure (6.058 × 2.438 m), connected on the DC side of the PCS. Its cooling and cable section sits on one short end, service doors along one long side, and the blind sides stack directly against neighboring blocks.

What is a PCS & MV skid?

The AC side of a BESS section, pre-assembled on one skid: power conversion system, medium-voltage transformer, and ring main unit. The 20 ft format carries PCS · TRF · RMU; the 40 ft format carries PCS · TRF · PCS · RMU. Both keep a 2 m service clearance on all four sides.

How is the number of PCS & MV skids determined?

One skid serves exactly one DC cluster — a cluster is never split across two skids. A Quad cluster (2×2, four blocks) takes one 40 ft skid at either duration. A Twin cluster (two blocks) takes a 40 ft skid at 2 hours and a 20 ft skid at 4 hours. A Solo block takes a 20 ft skid. The calculator packs Quads first, matching the solver's Auto rule.

What size E-house does the project need?

Sized by site power: a 20 ft E-house up to 50 MW, a 40 ft E-house up to 100 MW, and a 15 × 4 m walk-in building above that. The calculator applies the same rule the solver uses for Auto sizing.

Why is the installed capacity slightly higher than the input?

Containers are discrete. The count rounds up to whole DC blocks, so installed energy is the block count × block energy — for 400 MWh requested with 6.25 MWh blocks, exactly 64 blocks = 400 MWh; for 410 MWh, 66 blocks = 412.5 MWh.

Related

BESS land area calculatorThe land this equipment list needs, calibrated against real layouts.Supported equipmentThe equipment library: generic archetypes and named manufacturer models.BESS section configurationsSolo, Twin, and Quad clusters and the skid each takes.E-house and grid connectionHow the E-house is sized and placed.

The layout tool places this equipment list on the actual site, with roads, clearances, fence, and gate. Draw the boundary and tune from there.

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