Ancillary services provided by BESS in a scenario characterized by an increasing penetration of unpredictable renewables

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to study the role and the importance of electrochemical storage systems in electric networks characterized by a significant penetration of unpredictable renewable sources. The role of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) are analysed simulating three scenarios characterized by a different penetration of renewable sources. Simulations results prove that BESSs, differently from a past situation characterized by very low installations of wind and solar power plants, turn out to be important when the percentage of renewables installed power similar to that of Italian network in 2013 is considered. Positive results are also obtained simulating a hypothetical future situation in which the total installed power is mainly constituted by plants based on unpredictable sources.