The role of electricity storage in the energy transition

Abstract

A generic mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model has been developed in this work with the objective of determining the optimal operational scheduling of a power system characterized by significant penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources and incorporating energy storage facilities. In particular, a detailed unit commitment model has been developed with energy storage capabilities and electricity trading options as potential sources of flexibility, besides natural gas-fired and hydroelectric units. The time horizon considered is annual with an hourly time step, enabling to consider all potential challenges that the studied power system may face. An illustrative case study of a power system with high penetration of wind and photovoltaics has been utilized to assess the applicability of the proposed framework, including several scenarios of the installed energy storage facilities. The results highlight the importance of energy storage in terms of load management, ancillary services provision, and transmission utilization. © 2020 IEEE.