Community Energy Storage

Community energy storage (CES) places a fleet of small batteries along the electric power distribution system. The batteries charge at night when power from the grid is available and discharge energy as needed to enhance power quality and reliability or improve the utility load profile.

CES and renewable resources

CES systems facilitate integration of renewable energy sources by supplementing their intermittent nature. For example, when cloud cover disrupts the flow of energy through a photovoltaic (solar) array, the CES system can provide uninterrupted power until the sun comes out again.

CES features

Fundamental to CES is the electric transportation battery (lithium ion) -- similar to the battery used in electric vehicles. The batteries are housed in cases that appear very similar to the familiar pad-mounted transformer or can be mounted on poles also with an appearance similar to a transformer. A typical CES system involves units of approximately 25 kilowatts each.

Scalable and flexible, CES systems promise to be relatively easy to install and maintain; the batteries are likely to be a standardized commodity.

CES benefits

CES systems are safe, cost effective, compact, and produce no adverse environmental impacts. CES provides benefits to the customer and to the utility.

For the customer, CES:

• Provides back up power during loss of utility power supply,
• Improves service reliability through reduced flicker and momentary interruptions and improved voltage regulation and
• Stores wind or solar output until it is needed, directly accepting direct current output.

For the utility, CES:

• Levels load at the station and circuit,
• Corrects power factor,
• Improves operations including reduction of cold load pickup,
• Lowers resistive loss in wires and
• Integrates into circuit voltage control.

CES at AEP

As part of the Smart Grid Demonstration Project partnership with DOE, AEP is deploying CES in northeast Columbus as part of AEP Ohio’s gridSMART initiative