Optimal selection of energy storage systems

Given the variability of the demand on energy (electricity) from end consumers and the variability of supply from the renewable energy sources, the smart grid can suffer from the gap caused by the mismatch of these two variables. The energy storage techniques are required in order to minimize the impact of the mismatch between the supply and the demand. However, the selection of the storage technique and the specific storage device are very critical aspects to the success of the integration of renewable energy sources into the smart grid since this requires careful evaluation of available techniques and effective scheduling of their operations. The model we propose in this paper is based on mathematical modeling (specifically linear programming) which allows the evaluation of various storage systems such as Pumped Hydro Storage and different types of batteries from economic and performance aspects. The case of Saudi Arabia is used to show how the model can help the engineers and the decision makers in selecting the most efficient storage systems and how they can integrate the operations such that the interruption of the power supply is minimized.