NSERC Energy Storage Technology Network

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Electric grids comprising generation, transmission, and consumption will undergo a fundamental paradigm shift by introducing grid-scale energy storage (ES) systems. ES will be an invaluable asset for Canadian utilities who are facing intense pressures to provide clean, high quality, reliable and cheap energy, by enabling the widespread use of: (1) renewables, by overcoming intermittency and uncertainty, (2) net-zero buildings, (3) conservation and demand management, (4) congestion mitigation for transmission systems, (5) energy arbitrage, and more. Though pumped-hydro ES systems have existed for several decades, their use is limited due to unsuitable geography and prohibitively high costs. In the last decade, new grid-scale ES technologies have emerged with commercial potential that are deployable in urban and rural geographies at costs suitable for electric grids including: (1) lithium-ion batteries, (2) flywheels, (3) compressed-air ES systems, and, (4) thermal ES systems. However, these ES technologies face significant hurdles, including high costs, technical challenges, and poor power system interfaces from technical, economic, policy and regulatory perspectives. Tapping into existing academic and industry research facilities and demonstration projects, in concert with Canadian researchers, technology providers, manufacturers, utilities, and governmental agencies, the NSERC Energy Storage Technology (NEST) Network will foster improved synergistic, networked, collaborative and multidisciplinary research with the objective of taking these four promising grid-scale ES technologies and developing a suite of solutions to propel them into commercial success over the next five years and beyond. Focusing on four research Themes: 1) ES Technologies; 2) Power Electronics; 3) Systems Integration; and 4) Economics, Policy and Social Aspects, the NEST Network will yield new ES systems technologies and power electronics converters, innovative power system integration methods, and complementary economic models, policies, and regulations. It will enable Canadian leadership in ES and train highly qualified personnel with expertise in ES, driving the sector and Canadian economy forward.