CanmetENERGY Research Brief: Integrating Electricity Storage into Smart Grid

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Author: Tarek El-Fouly and Jennifer Hiscock, Natural Resources Canada

CETC number: 2014-106

Publication date: 2014-10-24

Abstract:

Electricity distribution systems in Canada are modernizing to become “smart” by installing digital monitoring and controls throughout our cities and towns. CanmetENERGY has been researching this application of storage technologies, such as batteries, flywheels and compressed air storage, into smart electricity systems under two main areas: impact of storage on operational costs and market dynamics, and best ways to integrate them into smarter, stronger, fast-responding systems. This research has led to 11 scientific publications, the relevance of which for electricity system planners, policy-makers and market authorities is discussed in this 4-page summary.

The findings reveal that designing systems for distributed storage can support the transition to more efficient decentralized electricity control and operation, while bringing down investment costs and even increasing reliability and resiliency.

For more information about Natural Resources Canada’s activities related to smart grid, visit the Electricity Infrastructure section of the website.