Towards developing a large energy store using small scale distributed batteries: poster abstract

Abstract

Electricity is perhaps the only resource that has to be consumed at the moment it is produced. Due to expensive storage, large quantity of electricity cannot be stored for optimal operation of the grid. However, in recent times, large scale batteries are making inroads to the power sector. But, large scale batteries are still prohibitively expensive, thus cannot be readily used with reasonable return on investment. We propose to create a large virtual energy storage system (ESS) using myriad number of small scale batteries. Using a large central electricity storage suffers from disadvantages of capital, operational and maintenance cost and decrease of profit due to storage failure. Small scale ESSs are installed and managed by the end users who voluntarily connect their ESSs with the utility grid and provide it's control to the utility operator. In return, utility operator shares some percentage of arbitrage profit with the electricity users as an incentive.