Energy Storage solutions for Zero Carbon 2050 electric distribution systems

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This project will address systemic economic, regulatory, and technological barriers facing the adoption of electricity storage technologies by utility companies. Utilities such as Toronto Hydro Electric Systems Ltd. and Halton Hills Hydro are interested in exploring and developing solutions to further support renewables, avoid expensive utility asset upgrades, and evolve their distribution systems to be smart, intelligent, and robust. Led by researchers at the Ryerson Centre for Urban Energy, the project proposes electricity storage technology as one such solution, which can be deployed to reduce utility asset requirements and optimise operations, enhance resilience in the grid and enable the diversification of energy resources to include energy produced by renewable sources. The project's 3 overarching goals aim to: (1) provide reliable and resilient electric power supply with minimal asset costs, (2) increase grid flexibility and smarts such that supply quality is the best, and (3) enable distributed energy resources to source energy locally such that more renewables are contracted and added to the grid. With input from our partners, the project pursues these goals in five sub-projects, which explore new rate designs, ancillary services, and aggregation schemes that best fit storage. Algorithms and software will be developed and tested to optimally plan and operate a diverse range of energy resources. Apart from reducing the total cost of electricity and making distribution utilities intelligent, smart and robust through improved power supply quality and reliability such that customer experience and choices improve, the project will support efforts in Canada to achieve a net-zero emissions grid before 2050 and meet its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. With Canada needing to produce double of today's percentage of final energy use from electricity, and two to three times as much non-emitting power as it does now, the project's outcomes will contribute to the Canadian economy though enhanced supply reliability, resilience (to face extreme weather), and economic accessibility (lower cost). Facilitating greater storage uptake is the pathway to deep electrification via renewables.