Title: Smart grids vs. storage management

Authors: Ron Tolmie; Marc A. Rosen

Addresses: Sustainability-Journal.ca, 217 Petrie Lane, Kanata, Ontario, K2K 1Z5, Canada ' Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 7K4, Canada

Abstract: Energy storage can provide an alternative to smart grids that is less expensive, more effective, and that can boost the production of energy in both electrical and thermal forms. The extra energy comes mostly from local energy sources like solar heat and heat extracted from the summer air. The electricity is stored by using it to drive heat pumps that boost the exergy of heat stored in a thermal store, subsequently recovering it via grid demand reduction. The storage makes it possible to match the supply and demand for both electrical and thermal loads and it is the synergistic integration of these two functions that makes such systems so economical. Underutilised sources like run-of-the-river hydro generators and solar thermal collectors can be more efficiently utilised and the need to generate enough power to meet peak demands is reduced, which reduces the overall capital costs.

Keywords: smart grid; energy storage; storage management; exergy; power outages; energy utilisation; heat pumps; hydro generators; solar thermal collectors; water power; solar power; solar energy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSE.2015.071433

International Journal of Process Systems Engineering, 2015 Vol.3 No.1/2/3, pp.149 - 157

Received: 07 Oct 2014
Accepted: 13 Apr 2015

Published online: 27 Aug 2015 *

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