• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
electricity grid – coal power

Power grid: Integrating large-scale battery energy into the electricity network

July 17, 2018 by Sam Francis

One of the most challenging issues for power grids is energy storage. The ability to store energy would enable the supply of uninterrupted electricity to customers, but battery technology has been too expensive or not good enough – until now, with all the electric cars on the roads. Claude Olsen, of Gemini.no, explains

Batteries have become so cheap that they can be used for more than just smartphones and electric cars. Now, national electricity network companies will use them to stabilize the power grid.

In the Norwegian city of Skien, the Odds football stadium Skagerak Arena will, next year, be almost self-sufficient with electricity from 5,000 square meters of solar cells on the roof.

However, since the big peak in power consumption is on the day of the match, the energy produced on the other weekdays must be stored in large batteries. 

Skagerak Arena is part of the Skagerak Energilab project, such as Skagerak Energi, the football club Odd and several partners behind. Here, both batteries and balancing of local production will be tested as a user case in the CINELDI research center.

Batteries have become the standard theme in all talk about the development of power systems and renewable energy, but very few distinguish between the applications and how realistic it is to use batteries.

There is a difference in how batteries should be used in Norway, which has a lot of hydro power, compared with countries with a lot of solar and wind power, says Professor Magnus Korpås at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Korpås conducts research on the use of lithium-ion batteries in the Center for Intelligent Electricity Distribution (CINELDI).

In the project, researchers at Sintef Energy and NTNU have analyzed how batteries will affect the energy systems in Norway and Europe. They see that the usefulness varies greatly from country to country.

electricity grid – solar power copy

Great importance for the Norwegian power grid

Sintef researcher and center manager at CINELDI, Gerd Kjølle, says the center is concerned with the social gain of batteries in the mains.

Kjølle says: “It’s important to find out how batteries can help smooth out power peaks, stabilize the power grid, and increase utilization of existing networks to avoid net investment that would otherwise be necessary to cover power downs.”

A small electric car used only for driving, requires a large energy storage station for long periods of time. In Europe, there are more and more solar panels on the roof. There are also many in Norway who enjoy electricity prices so low that they hardly pay for it. Where a power company like Statkraft calculates back and forth on profitability before investing in a new power plant, private individuals will invest in solar cells and batteries as a lifestyle investment.

Korpås says: “Therefore, there may be a large number of solar systems locally because people will cover their own power consumption. Solar power and energy storage by consumers become a joker in the energy system. It will potentially have a lot to say about the operation and development of the local area network.”

Power from the electric cars

The researchers in Trondheim have done studies that show that parked electric cars may cover much of the need for local energy storage in Norway, whether in the garage or in a public car park.

Some of the battery capacity can be utilized without me as a car owner marking something from time to time.

For example, one can get free charge against letting the car be available as an energy storage in the network.

With hundreds of thousands of cars that are largely parked, we may not need so many additional batteries in the network. How we will put it into practice is an important research topic, including in CINELDI, says Korpås.

Balances between wind and sun

Today, fossil fuels are often used as a reserve when production from sun and wind is small. By inserting batteries instead, they can both secure power supply and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The batteries contribute to the balance between consumption and production in the main grid. The advantage of batteries is that they can deliver power very quickly, he says.

wind turbine

Norwegian companies in the front

Equinor tests a large battery pack in Scotland where the cables from the wind turbines in the HyWind park enter. The battery should smooth out short-term variations in power generation so that they can deliver power as they have previously announced. The battery is too small to cover power generation when there is little wind.

In countries such as the UK and Denmark, batteries are useful as energy storage to ensure enough power, but this use is less relevant in Norway since the country has so much hydropower. It is easy to adjust up or down as needed.

The big use in Norway will be to use batteries as an alternative to building and strengthening local and regional power grids. With more solar power and wind power, often the grid to other regions will be a bottleneck and require reinforcement.

With batteries, the power from wind and sun can instead be stored locally and consumed at night or in a windscreen. The network company will not have to invest in the network.

The biggest strain on the power grids comes when everyone in the neighborhood switches on the induction ovens to make dinner and puts the electric car at the same time.

Then we get a so-called power peak.

It does not last for so long, but still requires the power companies to amplify the mains to take the peaks. This can be avoided by inserting batteries that deliver energy every time the power stops come.

Network batteries

Korpås. says: “It’s not vital to have batteries around the Norwegian mains, but it can be a good measure to improve the utilization of the existing network.”

But here is also a challenge. The online companies, who are the ones who most benefit from the batteries in the network, are not allowed to own and operate them. Every time the battery charges and charges, they are part of the power market, and the network companies do not have the opportunity. It is currently unclear how this should be solved.

Korpås. says: “We are looking for an independent operator to own and operate a battery and have an appointment with a network company about when and how the battery will charge or deliver energy.”

This could be a similar model as in the hydropower system where Statnett demands power to keep the power steady (constant frequency of 50 Hertz), and power producers report how much they can produce.

This article is republished from the website of Sintef, a technology research organization. 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Features, Infrastructure Tagged With: battery, cineldi, electric car batteries, electricity, gemini, power grid, sintef

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Festo unveils ‘the first pneumatic collaborative robot’
  • Geek+ to debut new robotics solutions at LogiMAT 2022
  • Wikifactory secures $2.5 million funding to expand its manufacturing marketplace
  • Motional and Uber launch autonomous deliveries of food
  • Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work
  • Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
  • GreyOrange raises $110 million for ‘growth financing’
  • Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry
  • ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
  • Switzerland’s largest trade fair celebrates its 20th anniversary with a promising edition

Most Read

  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
    ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
    Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
  • Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry
    Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Festo unveils ‘the first pneumatic collaborative robot’
  • Geek+ to debut new robotics solutions at LogiMAT 2022
  • Wikifactory secures $2.5 million funding to expand its manufacturing marketplace
  • Motional and Uber launch autonomous deliveries of food
  • Commercial vehicle maker MAN selects Magazino robot for warehouse work
  • Continental to unveil new autonomous mobile robots for first time at LogiMAT
  • GreyOrange raises $110 million for ‘growth financing’
  • Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry
  • ABB launches new robotic depalletizer to ‘reduce complexity and improve efficiency’
  • Switzerland’s largest trade fair celebrates its 20th anniversary with a promising edition

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

July 2018
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Jun   Aug »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT