Benefits of an energy storage device for a wind farm

Energy storage has been a long sought after concept that could give several benefits for an intermittent energy source like wind power. The primary objective of the study presented in this paper is to determine the role that energy storage can play in alleviating network constraints and avoid the need for network investment. Two case studies have been considered in which a new wind farm would cause an existing adjacent radial line to be thermally overloaded at times of high wind, unless the generated wind power is curtailed. Important parameters affecting the viability of using energy storage for the purpose of avoiding spillage without reinforcing the network are: line length, ratio of wind farm size to line rating, wind farm energy curtailment, network reinforcement costs, energy storage systems costs, electricity wholesale price, and losses in the store and power conversion.