Can residential-storage systems support the power grid?

Integrating residential-storage systems into an efficient, dispatchable network that supports the power grid won’t be easy. But evidence is emerging that it can be done. Some states have launched pilot programs that let utilities pay battery-equipped households for using some of their stored power at times when the system is under strain.

What is a grid-connected system?

A grid-connected system allows you to power your home or small business with renewable energy during those periods (daily as well as seasonally) when the sun is shining, the water is running, or the wind is blowing. Any excess electricity you produce is fed back into the grid.

How can a residential energy-storage network operator support the grid?

Likewise, residential energy-storage network operators will need to make sure customers have bought in to using their batteries to support the grid and demonstrate to the local utility that these behind-the-meter systems are reliable and dispatchable at a moment’s notice when the utility grid network needs the support.

What is give and take with electricity grid connections?

It's give and take with electricity grid connections Connections generally fall into two categories: generation (creating electricity for the grid) and demand (taking energy from it).

Can household batteries help make the grid more cost efficient?

Household batteries could contribute to making the grid more cost effec- tive, reliable, resilient, and safe—if retail battery providers, utilities, and regulators can resolve delicate commercial, operational, and policy issues. The growth of battery storage in the power sector has attracted a great deal of attention in the industry and media.