Distributed energy storage offers national security and consumer benefits

May 1, 2012 - PRLog -- The National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt) issued, today, a white paper detailing the benefits that would result from widespread deployment of distributed energy storage (DES) systems. Representatives from a coalition of industrial companies and electric utilities assembled by NAATBatt presented a copy of the white paper to U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu at a meeting on April 16 in Washington, D.C. DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability acted as an advisor and technical writer for the NAATBatt group.

Titled “Distributed Energy Storage: Serving National Interests,” the 47-page document provides a comprehensive overview of the role DES can play in producing a more reliable, efficient, clean, and secure electrical grid. Cited benefits include system regulation, integration of distributed renewable power generation, mitigation of the impact of power disruptions, transmission and distribution project deferral, and the manufacture of more convenient and less costly electric vehicles. The paper also discusses financial and regulatory barriers to DES and makes recommendations for moving past them.

“DES is often lumped together with other technologies when talking about the benefits of storing electricity on the grid,” said NAATBatt Executive Director James Greenberger. “However, the white paper points out that storing electricity out at the ‘tips’ of the grid has unique advantages. While smaller, multiple, distributed storage systems can cost more than large, bulk-scale electricity storage, distributed storage can do much more. DES systems can play a key role in providing reliable electricity service to consumers, integrating renewable energy onto the grid, and making electric vehicles more attractive and affordable. The white paper argues that utilities and utility regulators should place a high value on these benefits.”

NAATBatt coordinated the production of the white paper at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to serve as a guide for federal funding priorities, as well as an information resource for state regulators to help them understand DES systems and their benefits. NAATBatt hopes the white paper will encourage continued DOE funding of demonstration projects designed to reduce the cost and increase the utility of DES systems.

DNV KEMA produced the document based on direct input from the NAATBatt working group, composed of utilities, energy storage manufacturers, system integrators, automotive manufacturers, and government entities from across the nation. The 13-member working group included ABB, American Electric Power, Altairnano, Boston-Power, DTE Energy, Dow Chemical Company, Dow Kokam, Duke Energy, EaglePicher Technologies, General Motors Company, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and S&C Electric Company.

“Larger trends like bringing distributed solar and wind online, and increasing demand for fast EV charging are realities we’re dealing with now,” said the paper’s author, DNV KEMA executive consultant and former chairman of the Electricity Storage Association, Dr. Ali Nourai. “DES is a very effective tool to buffer the adverse impacts of such distributed generation and load, while satisfying other grid needs that would also benefit the public at large. It is a matter now for policymakers and regulators to facilitate deployment of DES.”

Copies of the white paper may be downloaded at http://naatbatt.org/uploads/NAATBatt-DES-White-Paper-FINA... and the DNV KEMA website.

About NAATBatt
National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries (naatbatt.org) is a not-for-profit trade association of corporations, associations and research institutions focused on the manufacture of large format advanced batteries for use in transportation and grid-connected energy storage applications in the United States. Members include advanced battery and electrode manufacturers, materials suppliers, equipment vendors, service providers, and universities and national laboratories. NAATBatt’s core missions are to encourage U.S. leadership in advanced battery technology and to grow the North American market for products incorporating that technology. Energy storage will be a critical technology in the automobile industry and in the electricity grids of the future. The long term health of the U.S. economy, and tens of thousands of future U.S. jobs, depend in no small part on the ability of U.S. companies to remain competitive, if not to become leaders, in this critical technology.

About DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability
DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability, with more than 2,300 experts in over 30 countries around the world, is committed to driving the global transition toward a safe, reliable, efficient, and clean energy future. With a heritage of nearly 150 years, we specialize in providing world-class, innovative solutions in the fields of business & technical consultancy; testing, inspections & certification; risk management; and verification. As an objective and impartial knowledge-based company, we advise and support organizations along the energy value chain: producers, suppliers & end-users of energy; equipment manufacturers; as well as government bodies, corporations, and non-governmental organizations. DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability is part of DNV, a global provider of services for managing risk with more than 10,000 employees in over 100 countries. For more information on DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability, visit www.dnvkema.com.