Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Long-Term and Short-Term Benefits of Energy Storage
Based on widespread energy storage deployment on a grid, strategic
decisions considering the long- and short-term impacts require review.
The long-term benefits of well-penetrated distributed energy storage
include:
• Improved system control and reliability to cope with adverse impacts
of widespread and uncontrolled customer-owned DGs.
• Enhancement of DG penetration by reducing its required size.
• Improved system reliability due to intentional islanding that can
negate brownouts and even blackouts.
• Base loaded power
• Improved asset management and extending useful equipment life
by reducing peak loads at all system levels.
• Reducing equipment cost by lowering required power ratings.
• Opportunities to offer energy arbitrage in deregulated environments.
• Provision of voltage and frequency regulation benefits.
The most important short-term benefits of distributed energy storage for
utilities involve “buying time” by
• Deferring upgrade capital expenditures by reduction of load peaks.
• Improving service reliability where conventional solutions (con-
structing new power lines or substations) may not be readily avail-
able or would take several years to implement.
• Allowing more time for service restoration during scheduled or acci-
dental power interruptions due to ability to provide interim power
to customers.
Load leveling is initially based on predictions of daily and seasonal needs
when production is not sufficient. Traditional batteries are difficult to scale
up, contain hazardous chemicals, and do not meet the performance and life
standards required by distributed and stationary energy storage applica-
tions. Presently the NaS-based DESS is one of the most cost-effective sys-
tems on the market, but the utility industry continues to search for the next
generation of battery systems that can provide reliable backup for businesses
and consumers during power outages, decrease costs of electrical distribu-
tion and generation by shaving peak costs, and reduce plant costs by deliver-
ing cleaner electricity while retaining the ability to handle multiple levels of
storage including peaking, intermediate, and base loads. The challenges for
new battery technology are great, but with energy shortages looming, we
will see more DESS facilities installed.
