Power grids require controllable elements called Ancillary Services (AS) that are able to stabilize power imbalances that appear at all time scales in the network. The generation side has traditionally played this role by altering its power output to adapt to any fluctuations on the demand side. However, increasing renewable generation, distributed photovoltaic panels and interactions with consumers that can adapt to energy prices have increased the requirements for these ancillary services, and is correspondingly expected to increase their costs. We believe that the combination of distributed electrical storage coupled with intelligent control solutions will enable aggregations of smart buildings to compete technically and economically in the current marketplace for AS and allow for the evolution of the power grid toward a cleaner and more resilient system.
The project concept capitalizes on the synergies of two emerging technologies, industrial scale batteries and advanced thermal control of buildings, by constructing an intelligent coupling between them – the Intelligent Control of Energy Systems (ICE) – and creating an advanced system that provides fast regulation services to the power grid. ICE utilizes the rapid activation rate of a battery and the abundant and existing energy storage capacity of smart buildings to generate AS conforming to the requirements of the grid operator.
The ICE project studied both the technical feasibility as well as the financial viability of such a solution. A pilot demonstration was completed, which successfully showed over a 10-day period of continuous operation that the combination of a building thermal storage and an electrical battery can satisfy all of the requirements of the Swiss grid operator, while offering significantly more service than either system alone. A market and financial study was executed, showing the potential benefits and limitations of such a system in the future marketplace.
The project is continuing to move towards commercialization via a new collaboration with a Swiss technology transfer partner.
