Smart Grids And Energy Storage

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With the increased use of renewable energy and the future possibility that electricity will be fed back into power grids from sources not directly controlled by electric utilities, the old model -- in which power flows from a central generating plant to transmission and distribution substations, and on to commercial, industrial and residential customers -- needs to change. In the future, "smart grids" will use advanced technologies to monitor and manage the transport of electricity. Once unidirectional energy and communications flows will become bidirectional power flows. Smart grid technologies will bring reductions in carbon dioxide emissions; enhanced system stability; cost savings and security; and grid integration through intelligent information and communication technologies. This eBook evaluates how different countries are using renewable sources to produce electricity, and reviews the known options for storing energy. China's dramatic recent growth, as both a user of electricity and a producer of renewable energy, is of particular interest. The increased use of renewable energy sources means there will be times when there is too much available energy when demand is low -- or not enough energy generation when demand is high. Therefore, some form of energy storage is required. No single storage system is ideal for every application. Author Michael J. Weighall envisions that as the market for energy storage grows, a range of systems will find a market, dependent on the requirements. Emerging growth technologies, such as solar photovoltaics, also are evaluated.

Introduction and Methodology

Objective
Scope
Methodology
Definitions
- Smart Grid
- Battery
- Ultracapacitor
Abbreviations
Chemical Symbols

Renewable Energy Storage Drivers

Renewable Energy Targets
- Wind Energy in Europe in 2020
- Wind Energy in Europe in 2030
Energy Storage
- Energy Storage Technology Options
- Legislation and Regulation
- Renewable Energy Power Variability
- Issues with Renewable Energy

Energy Storage Technologies

Introduction
Battery Energy Storage
- Lead-acid
- - Trojan Battery
- - Shin-Kobe (Japan)
- - Axion Power (PbC)
- - UltraBattery
- Sodium-sulphur
- Sodium-nickel Chloride (Sodium-beta)
- - MES-DEA (Fiamm)
- Lithium-ion
- - Lithium Iron Phosphate
- - Lithium Titanate Spinel Oxide
- - LG Chem Power Inc.
- - Samsung SDI
- - NEC Energy Devices
- Lithium-air
- Zinc-air
- Flow Batteries
- Ultracapacitors
- - Ioxus
- - Tecate
- EV-Battery Storage
Other Candidate Storage Technologies
- Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity
- Compressed Air
- Flywheel Storage
- Natural Gas Turbines
- Thermal Storage
Summary of Energy Storage Options

Smart Grid Technologies

Key Aspects of a Smart Grid
- Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Solar Power
- Smart Meters, Sensors and Monitors
Commercial Cases of Smart Grid Systems
- Sainsbury's UK
- Arizona: Solon and Tucson Electric Power
- A123 Systems
- Norway: Echelon Smart Metering System
- UK: Highview Power Storage
- Maui Hawaii Wind Project
Frequency Regulation and Spinning Reserves

Smart Grid and Energy Storage Outlook

Introduction
Energy Storage Systems
Integration of Variable Renewable Energy Resources
Key Technology, Market and Legislative Factors
Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Appendix

Further Reading
Useful Websites

Tables & Figures

List of Tables
TABLE 0.1 Share of global wind energy capacity by region, 2009 (%)
TABLE 2.1 Share of global wind energy capacity by region, 2009 (%)
TABLE 2.2 Estimated costs for five different energy storage systems (US$ per kWh)
TABLE 3.1 Shiura Wind Farm (Aomori, Japan) specifications
TABLE 3.2 Comparison of sodium-sulphur and lithium-ion battery chemistries
TABLE 3.3 Development status of various energy storage technologies
TABLE 3.4 Bulk-energy storage options to support system and large renewable integration
TABLE 4.1 Added renewable resource capacity modelled for CAISO 20% RPS study
TABLE 5.1 Development status of various energy storage technologies
TABLE 5.2 Select national smart grid demonstration and deployment efforts

List of Figures
FIGURE 0.1 Smarter electricity systems
FIGURE 0.2 Renewable energy share of global electricity production, 2010 (%)
FIGURE 0.3 Global installed storage capacity for electrical energy
FIGURE 0.4 Positioning of energy storage technologies
FIGURE 2.1 Renewable energy share of global electricity production, 2010 (%)
FIGURE 2.2 Variability in wind farm output over a 24-hour period (MW)
FIGURE 2.3 Output of a large PV power plant over one day (MW)
FIGURE 3.1 Configuration of CSIRO UltraBattery
FIGURE 3.2 Storage power requirements for electric power utility applications
FIGURE 3.3 Structure of lithium-ion battery compared with nano-titanate
FIGURE 3.4 Flow battery diagram
FIGURE 3.5 Global installed storage capacity for electrical energy
FIGURE 3.6 Positioning of energy storage technologies
FIGURE 4.1 Electricity grid diagram
FIGURE 4.2 Diagram of how the electricity grid is changing
FIGURE 4.3 Smarter electricity system
FIGURE 4.4 Diagram of energy storage in a smart grid