Energy Storage for Microgrids

This paper provides a critical review of the existing energy storage technologies, focusing mainly on mature technologies. Their feasibility for microgrids is investigated in terms of cost, technical benefits, cycle life, ease of deployment, energy and power density, cycle life, and operational constraints.

Microgrids are small-scale energy systems with distributed energy resources, such as generators and storage systems, and controllable loads forming an electrical entity within defined electrical limits. These systems can be deployed in either low voltage or high voltage and can operate independently of the main grid if necessary .

However, increasingly, microgrids are being based on energy storage systems combined with renewable energy sources (solar, wind, small hydro), usually backed up by a fossil fuel-powered generator. The main advantage of a microgrid: higher reliability.

With regard to the off-grid operation, the energy storage system has considerable importance in the microgrid. The ESS mainly provides frequency regulation, backup power and resilience features.

As discussed in the earlier sections, some features are preferred when deploying energy storage systems in microgrids. These include energy density, power density, lifespan, safety, commercial availability, and financial/ technical feasibility. Lead-acid batteries have lower energy and power densities than other electrochemical devices.

Microgrids offer greater opportunities for mitigate the energy demand reliably and affordably. However, there are still challenging. Nevertheless, the ene rgy storage system is proposed as a promising solution to overcome the aforementioned challenges. 1. Introduction power grid.