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The Next Frontier: Energy Storage

• Breakthroughs in large-scale energy storage technologies continue to present intriguing new opportunities. We are testing power storage solutions that will enable us to:
• Better harness intermittent renewable energy, like solar and wind
• Use large-scale portable storage devices to provide reliable backup power during service disruptions
• Use smaller storage devices in customers’ homes to help meet demand during peak usage periods
• Support our efforts to maintain the stability of the power grid
• Further contribute to a smart energy grid in the U.S.

We are conducting two pilots to test battery technology in Charlotte, N.C. In one pilot, while we are upgrading a substation, we are using a zinc bromide battery – roughly the size of a cargo container – to store energy. The battery will discharge power as needed to meet customer demand. And, because this storage device is portable, it can be moved to another Duke Energy site once the substation has been upgraded.

We are also testing battery storage in combination with solar energy at another substation site. A large zinc bromide battery will store energy from solar power arrays or the grid and release it to area customers during periods of peak demand. Energy management systems installed in the homes of 50 to 100 customers will use real-time data to automatically manage power consumption.

We may also use this project to test “distributed generation,” which is electricity produced close to customers, rather than at large, centralized power plants. Distributed generation – using solar energy in this case – holds the potential to create reliable “micro” power grids in communities and neighborhoods. These micro grids could change the way utilities plan to meet future load growth.