Investigating the influence of erratic grid on stationary battery energy storage technologies in hybrid power systems: Techno-environ-economic perspectives

Several obstacles impede renewable energy penetration into the global energy sector. Amongst the apparent challenges which require credible research attention, is the selection of appropriate energy storage technologies in the context of intermittent renewable resources and frequent grid outages. Given these, the present study investigated the technical, economic, and environmental effects of an erratic national grid on four distinct battery technologies in hybrid wind, solar, and diesel energy systems. The study was conducted at Baze University Abuja, Nigeria using the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables software. The battery types considered are vanadium redox flow battery (VRB), lead-acid battery, nickel-iron battery, and lithium-ion battery (LIB). The VRB-based hybrid energy systems demonstrated superior performances in meeting the electricity demands of the university at the lowest net present cost, levelized cost of energy, and carbon dioxide emissions of $6,328,003.00, $0.0722/kWh, and 21,754 kg/year respectively. This battery technology is characterized by storage depletion, throughput, and losses of 796 kWh/year, 406,570 kWh/year, and 182,757 kWh/year respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed that the frequency and duration of main grid outages affect the optimal systems’ economics, component sizes, battery energy losses, battery energy storage depletion, and renewable energy penetration.