Peak Shaving and Grid Congestion
How Peak Shaving Works
Peak shaving is a technique used to reduce electricity demand during peak periods by deploying energy storage systems. It involves storing excess energy during off-peak hours and discharging it during peak demand periods. This approach effectively “shaves off” the peaks from the load profile, ensuring a more stable and manageable grid operation.
Benefits of Peak Shaving in Addressing Grid Congestion
- Grid Stability: By reducing peak demand, peak shaving helps maintain grid stability and prevent overloading, which is a primary cause of grid congestion.
- Cost Savings: It lowers demand charges for businesses by minimizing reliance on the grid during peak times, which can lead to significant cost savings, especially in areas with high demand charges.
- Renewable Energy Integration: Peak shaving can also be used to store excess energy from renewable sources during periods of low demand, facilitating greater integration of renewable energy into the grid.
- Avoiding Infrastructure Upgrades: By utilizing stored energy during peak periods, businesses can stay within their contracted capacity without needing costly grid upgrades.
Role of Energy Management Systems (EMS)
Energy Management Systems play a crucial role in managing peak shaving by optimizing energy flows, integrating distributed energy resources, and implementing demand response programs. This helps in reducing grid dependency and enhancing overall grid efficiency, which in turn mitigates grid congestion.
In summary, peak shaving with energy storage systems is an effective strategy for reducing grid congestion. It provides a flexible and efficient way to manage peak electricity demand, ensuring grid stability while offering significant economic and environmental benefits.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/can-peak-shaving-with-energy-storage-systems-help-reduce-grid-congestion/
