Flexible storage for grid reliability

Development and use of sustainable energy sources is a key element in European research. Connecting newly developed sustainable and distributed energy resources to the electricity distribution networks causes significant effects on the management of these networks. Bottlenecks include stability, security, peaks in supply and demand, and overall management.

Technical and economical hurdles for large-scale introduction of distributed and sustainable energy sources can be overcome with electricity storage systems. The introduction of storage systems is now feasible since the costs of storage technologies have dropped dramatically in the last five years. However, unfamiliarity with the techniques, lack of confidence, and uncertainty with costs and benefits are creating end-user disinterest. Moreover, network components are designed to be technically and economically effective for a period of 40 years, further increasing conservative behavior.

Flexible
GROW-DERS offers a solution by using transportable and flexible storage systems made possible with new developments in power electronics. This innovative demonstration project offers operational experience and exhibits the technical and economical feasibility of storage systems.

Objectives
The Project realizes three transportable flexible storage systems, an assessment tool for optimal distribution network management, and completes a description of concept directions for EU regulatory framework.

Benefits The result of the GROW-DERS project is a savings of over $700 million per year for the countries participating in EU-FP 6, and the annual integration of 275 billion kWh of sustainable energy generation.

Project duration
March 2007 – February 2010

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