Which energy storage technology provides inertia for power systems?

With a weighted score of 4.3, flywheels (with lithium–ion batteries a close second) appear as the most suitable energy storage technology to provide inertia for power systems.

What is power system inertia?

Power system engineers typically describe the inertia of a generator in terms of stored rotational kinetic energy (EPRI 2019), so inertia has the same units of energy (power delivered over a period of time).

Should energy storage be a virtual inertial course?

Incorporating energy storage as a virtual inertial course would require fundamental changes in grid operations and market design. Because grid rotational inertia is considered an inherent property of power generation, there is no market mechanism to include inertia generation as an ancillary service.

How does inertial response affect electricity generation?

To accommodate the imbalance between supply and demand due to the drop in generation, the remaining online generators convert their rotational kinetic energy (inertia) into real power generation—referred to as inertial response. This process slows the generators and results in a drop in grid frequency.

Are energy storage technologies a viable alternative to inertia?

Energy storage technologies have emerged as a viable alternative to providing inertia through virtual inertia, i.e. inertia generated or simulated with power electronics and controls (Zhao and Ding, 2018, Zhang et al., 2019, Fang et al., 2017a).

What is generator inertia?

Generator inertia is our starting point for examining how fast the system must respond to a contingency event. This section details how generator inertia resists changes in system frequency. Under normal conditions, electricity demand is met by the constant injection of energy into the grid from many power plants.