Prospects of grid-connected household energy storage

Can residential-storage systems support the power grid?

Integrating residential-storage systems into an efficient, dispatchable network that supports the power grid won’t be easy. But evidence is emerging that it can be done. Some states have launched pilot programs that let utilities pay battery-equipped households for using some of their stored power at times when the system is under strain.

Is energy storage a distinct asset class within the electric grid system?

The authors support defining energy storage as a distinct asset class within the electric grid system, supported with effective regulatory and financial policies for development and deployment within a storage-based smart grid system in which storage is placed in a central role.

Can household batteries help make the grid more cost efficient?

Household batteries could contribute to making the grid more cost effec- tive, reliable, resilient, and safe—if retail battery providers, utilities, and regulators can resolve delicate commercial, operational, and policy issues. The growth of battery storage in the power sector has attracted a great deal of attention in the industry and media.

What role does energy storage play in a smart grid?

Asset class position and role of energy storage within the smart grid As utility networks are transformed into smart grids, interest in energy storage systems is increasing within the context of aging generation assets, heightening renewable energy penetration, and more distributed sources of generation .

Are battery energy storage systems the future of electricity?

In the electricity sector, battery energy storage systems emerge as one of the key solutions to provide flexibility to a power system that sees sharply rising flexibility needs, driven by the fast-rising share of variable renewables in the electricity mix.

How can a residential energy-storage network operator support the grid?

Likewise, residential energy-storage network operators will need to make sure customers have bought in to using their batteries to support the grid and demonstrate to the local utility that these behind-the-meter systems are reliable and dispatchable at a moment’s notice when the utility grid network needs the support.