Agenda

Informa will welcome attendees and introduce the live BAMs Bulletin, where participants share what their organisations are prioritising for battery assets, software, and operations over the next three quarters.

‘What hasn’t my organisation been implementing in our battery assets, software, or advisory approach that we are now taking into the next three company quarters?’

• What early operational mistakes should new entrants actively avoid as portfolios scale?
• Scaling assets while protecting asset performance and revenue streams
• What role do data, forecasting accuracy, and operational transparency play in protecting downside risk?
• What role do incident response and emergency preparedness play in operational excellence?
• Formalized training programs for first responders that improve safety and mitigate risks

• How can Canadian operators optimise revenue across arbitrage, capacity, and ancillary services?
• Lessons learned from ERCOT, CAISO, and UK markets
• How do you balance merchant exposure versus fully contracted structures?
• Maximizing value via tolling agreements and long-term contracts whilst limiting risk?
• What are the challenges of harmonizing technical and safety standards across provinces?
• How do insurance thresholds and underwriting criteria impact project feasibility?
• How can operators plan and execute augmentation while managing varying jurisdictional permitting challenges?

• How does extreme cold affect efficiency and battery state-of-health?
• Lessons drawn from other cold markets regarding battery enclosures and operational challenges
• What are the operational challenges for peak shaving and behind-the-meter applications?
• Compliance with NERC, IESO, and provincial reliability standards
• Skilled labor shortages in remote communities

• How can predictive maintenance prevent downtime and improve reliability?
• AI’s role in optimizing performance without accelerating degradation
• How can operators leverage analytics to enhance forecasting accuracy and operational transparency?
• What asset managers need from EMS, SCADA, and analytics platforms and where current tools still fall short

• How can operators navigate warranty claims when multiple parties supply components?
• Practical approaches for managing contracts and ensuring compliance
• Flexible Long-term service agreements (LTSAs) flexible versus Canadian operating demands
• How can skilled labor shortages impact warranty management and service agreements?

• How much degradation is realistic under Canadian operating conditions?
• What are the consequences if degradation exceeds projections?
• Augmentation considerations and what strategies to preserve asset value

• Commercially viable alternative battery chemistries and their economics over a 20 to 30 year lifecycle
• Alternative battery chemistries safety advantages and the impact of CAPEX and long-term operational costs
• How should operators integrate new chemistries into existing portfolios, considering warranty compliance, software optimisation, and dispatch strategy?
• Comparison of battery chemistries across diverse climates and applications – from extreme cold in northern regions to high-demand industrial and grid services

Participants will engage in practical training on emergency scenarios and fire response coordination. This workshop will simulate real-world incidents, focusing on:

• Coordinating first responders and operators during battery-related emergencies
• Understanding fire risks and mitigation strategies specific to battery storage systems
• Developing effective communication protocols for emergency response teams
• Learning best practices for incident management through facilitated exercises led by global industry experts

This hands-on session aims to enhance preparedness and collaboration among stakeholders, ensuring effective responses to critical situations.

• Cash flow discrepancies post-COD Challenges and alignment of operational realities with forecasted budgets
• Practical lessons learned in the first 12-24 months of BESS operations
• What trade-offs exist between contractual obligations and asset preservation?
• Effective implementation of warranty-compliant optimisation strategies
• What are the long-term financial implications of operational decisions?

• How can multi-asset portfolios be standardised across provinces, sites, and operators?
• Critical KPIs for performance, reliability, and revenue optimisation
• Tracking availability, response accuracy, and state-of-health across multiple assets
• How can performance data inform contract decisions, trading strategies, and revenue optimisation?
• Dispatch strategies in Ontario’s wholesale market that maximize returns through ancillary markets

• Insights from local fire departments – battery fire response and training programs with first responders
• Strategies for public perception and community opposition- improving acceptance criteria
• How can harmonization of standards reduce insurance costs and improve coverage?

• How can batteries deliver grid reliability and contingency services effectively?
• Methods to measure and prove battery performance to counterparties
• The role of batteries in enhancing system resilience and providing backup during critical events
• How can grid-forming capabilities contribute to system stability and reliability?

• Common cyber vulnerabilities across BESS control systems, EMS platforms, and grid interfaces
• Collaboration tactics to mitigate cyber risks
• Cybersecurity standards and frameworks for battery operators
• How do data centre off-takers assess cyber risk when contracting battery-backed power and resilience solutions?
• Where does responsibility sit between asset owners, OEMs, software providers, and third-party operators?

Throughout the event, participants contribute to a live Summit Bulletin by answering one core question, ‘What hasn’t my organization been implementing in our battery assets, software, or advisory approach that we are now taking into the next three company quarters?’

The panel will then explore:

• How will climate and market changes impact operational strategies and battery usage over the next 20 years?
• Common and most unexpected themes from the bulletin
• Immediate and practical actions for the industry
• Examples of successful implementation across Canadian and global portfolios

• The operational priorities operators should focus on in the next 3, 6, and 12 months
• Common risks and blind spots highlighted by asset owners, insurers, and grid stakeholders
• Where Canadian operators are aligned, and where approaches are diverging?