Changing the Electricity Game

American Electric Power (AEP) reveals that distributed energy storage is an important element in future grids by locating and controlling distributed energy storage systems (DESS) on large scale. Energy storage can be designed to handle number of tasks such as relieving overloaded assets on a section of the grid, restoring power to customer during outrage and allowing utilities from customer-controlled generators. A utility can be selected to justify the storage system based on a combination of services and market related benefits. AEP also has plans to deploy several prototype storage units in the tens of kilowatts and tens of kilowatthours range at the 120 V/240 V secondary voltage level. It has installed several sectionalizing devices that allow the battery to choose different groups of customers to serve depending on the actual load.