Distributed electrical energy storage can help reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the use of electrical energy, better enabling distributed generation of energy from sources such as rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, electricity distribution systems were not designed to allow power to flow from consumers to the grid, limiting how much power can be exported from rooftop PV systems. Falling feed-in tariffs are also making it more cost-effective to store excess PV energy on site, rather than export excess energy to the grid and then import it later at a higher cost.
This study determines the impact and viability of distributed electrical energy storage systems for residential consumers with rooftop PV systems. It uses PV generation and the total power being drawn by electrical appliances for thirty-eight households at Adelaide’s Lochiel Park, a housing development of about 100 homes designed to demonstrate low energy and low water consumption housing. The study simulates energy storage and calculates the impact of this on the amount and cost of imported electricity. It shows energy storage can be used to reduce the overall cost of imported energy, and that decreasing feed-in tariffs and decreasing the cost of energy storage will lead to an uptake of energy storage systems over the next few years.
rp1013 viability of electrical energy storage (3385972 PDF)