INTEGRATING ENERGY STORAGE INTO GRID-CONNECTED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

INTEGRATING ENERGY STORAGE INTO GRID-CONNECTED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION

The government of Togo and the World Bank recently signed a $64.2 million loan agreement. The funds will be utilised to electrify at least 60 communities as part of a regional project spearheaded by the World Bank.[i] Sani Yaya, Togo's Minister of Economy and Finance, and Coralie Gevers, the World Bank's Director of Operations for Togo, signed the $64 million financing agreement. The funding is part of a $311 million World Bank commitment under the Regional Solar Emergency Response Project (RESPIT).[ii]

The initiative aims to rapidly increase grid-connected renewable energy capacity in Togo, Chad, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and also strengthen regional integration.[iii] In rural areas, World Bank funding will enable the electrification of 12,100 households and the installation of 1,858 street-lamps for public lighting.[iv]

GRID CONNECTED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

The energy sector is undergoing massive transformation, with a focus on clean energy from renewable systems such as solar, wind and bio-power.[v] Although renewable energy systems do not require any connection with the electricity grid to generate power, a number of people prefer to use the grid connection.[vi] Power grids are being modified to incorporate renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency, and provide consumers with greater control over their energy consumption.[vii] While renewable energy systems can power homes and small businesses without connecting to the power grid, many people prefer the benefits that grid-connection provides.[viii]

A grid-connected system enables energy consumers to power homes or small businesses with renewable energy (daily and seasonally).[ix] Any excess energy generated is fed back into the grid and when renewable resources are in short supply, electricity from the grid will meet electrical needs.[x]

Furthermore, many states allow net metering, a practice where excess electricity produced by grid-connected renewable energy systems is fed back into the grid electricity meter.[xi] If a consumer uses more electricity than the system feeds into the grid in a given month, payment is made to the service provider for the difference.[xii]

To make things better, a small-scale photovoltaic solar system with storage batteries in its design, works in tandem with the local power company which can provide?grid-connected clean energy with a battery energy storage system.[xiii] The battery meets the short-term peak demand without drawing from the grid and paying the extra charge to service providers.

Storage batteries used in grid-connected PV systems can be divided into two types: short-term storage for a few hours or days to cover periods of weather interruptions, and long-term storage for several weeks to compensate for seasonal variations in solar irradiation between the summer and winter months.[xiv]

Although incorporating batteries into a grid-connected system necessitates more components, it is more expensive, and it reduces the overall efficiency of the system. However, for many homeowners in remote/rural areas who regularly lose grid supply due to bad weather, having some form of backup energy storage within their grid connected system can be of huge benefit.[xv]

The benefit of a grid connected PV system, for instance, either with or without storage batteries, is that on clear blue sunny days when the photovoltaic system is producing large amounts of current and the home is consuming low energy levels, in instances where a consumer is away from home all day working, the solar system continues to generate electricity.[xvi] Where there is a net metering arrangement, the excess electricity generated is not wasted but rather it is fed back into the power grid and used by other residents, who will ultimately use clean, renewable energy while earning money for the consumer.

INTEGRATION OF ENERGY STORAGE

Energy storage system is definitely an enabling technology that is fit for purpose for renewable energy systems and can go hand in hand with both residential and utility scale purposes. Integrating energy storage into grids and residential renewable systems have far reaching benefits including[xvii]:

·????????Saves Money: Energy storage can reduce grid operational costs while also saving money for electricity consumers who install energy storage in their homes and businesses. Service providers can offset consumer costs by storing low-cost energy for use at a later time, usually, during peak periods when electricity rates are higher. Businesses can avoid costly disruptions and continue normal operations by using energy storage during brief outages. Residents can save money on food and medicines, and avoid the inconvenience of being without power. When available, both businesses and residential consumers can participate in demand response programs.

·????????Reliability: During outages, energy storage can provide backup power. Storage allows the grid to be more flexible, ensuring that consumers have uninterrupted power supply on a needs basis. This adaptability is essential for both reliability and resilience.

·????????Environmental Impact: In its most basic form, energy storage allows electricity to be saved for later use on a needs basis. This improves the efficiency and capability of the electric grid, including the ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even in residential apartments. As the energy supply mix becomes cleaner by incorporating low- and no-carbon resources, energy storage will enable ?the supply mix evolve consistently.

·????????Multi- solution enabled: Battery energy storage, a type of energy storage is among the most widely used and well-accepted solution in residential, commercial, and industrial settings, including grid connection. They provide energy to a range of appliances and equipment, from our phones to cars, homes, and even retail, industrial facilities and power grids. Batteries can store electricity by converting it to chemical energy, which can then be converted back to electricity (where required).

·????????Grid Efficiency: Storage can help to postpone costly investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure, extending the life of existing assets and making the grid more efficient to produce power to grid connected users.

CONCLUSION

Grid connected renewable energy systems for both residential and industrial landscapes have proved beneficial in enabling ?access to electricity. However, the integration of energy storage into grid connected renewable energy systems have proven to be more beneficial and it is encouraging that the World Bank is financing such technologies in Togo which may eventually be integrated in other African countries.

[i] Jean Marie Takouleu, TOGO: $64 million from the World Bank for solar energy and electricity storage (Afrik21 February 27 2023) < https://www.afrik21.africa/en/togo-64-million-from-the-world-bank-for-solar-energy-and-electricity-storage/?> accessed 3 March 2023

[ii] Ibid

[iii] Ibid

[iv] Ibid

[v] All You Need to Know about Grid-Connected Renewable Energy System. Available at https://www.cnbctv18.com/energy/heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-grid-connected-renewable-energy-system-12088572.htm

[vi] Ibid

[vii] Ibid

[viii] Grid – Connected Renewable Energy Systems. Available at https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/grid-connected-renewable-energy-systems

[ix] Ibid

[x] Ibid

[xi] Ibid

[xii] Ibid

[xiii] Grid-connected PV Systems. Available https://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/solar-power/grid-connected-pv-system.html

[xiv] Ibid

[xv] Ibid

[xvi] Ibid

[xvii] Benefits of Energy Storage. Available at https://energystorage.org/why-energy-storage/benefits/