In the quest to develop viable solutions for energy storage, community energy storage combined with smart grid presents the greatest potential for integrating renewable energy resources, distributed generation, and demand response. Compared to larger batteries located in substations, community energy storage devices offer several advantages and can potentially overcome the top three barriers to storage [...]

There is now an influx of variables weighing on the grid, as deployment of renewable energy technologies escalate, renewable portfolio standards grow, and electric vehicle demand increases. Today the electric system still operates in just-in-time delivery mode. Energy storage is a key component to reinvent our electric system infrastructure.

For decades, the energy market for electricity was represented with an inelastic demand curve. As this market adapts for smart grid operations and mechanisms develop for expanding consumer groups to change their consumption patterns, the market’s inelastic longevity wanes, and we must examine potential scenarios for effects on market prices.

Becoming sustainable requires taking a long-term strategic view of the electric generation portfolio. It taks rethinking three aspects of generation: fuel sourcing, conversion technology and grid coupling. It also requires a forward-looking, sustainable business roadmap to manage the risks of diverse fuels with policy and technology.

Smart Grid technology has the potential to be the single-most disruptive innovation within the utility industry. The benefits of smart grid will not be fully achieved unless organizations look beyond just the technology changes and harness the potential value of Smart Grid within the utility business processes, organizational structure and market-serving approach.