Which energy storage technology provides inertia for power systems?

With a weighted score of 4.3, flywheels (with lithium–ion batteries a close second) appear as the most suitable energy storage technology to provide inertia for power systems.

Are energy storage technologies a viable alternative to inertia?

Energy storage technologies have emerged as a viable alternative to providing inertia through virtual inertia, i.e. inertia generated or simulated with power electronics and controls (Zhao and Ding, 2018, Zhang et al., 2019, Fang et al., 2017a).

Should energy storage be a virtual inertial course?

Incorporating energy storage as a virtual inertial course would require fundamental changes in grid operations and market design. Because grid rotational inertia is considered an inherent property of power generation, there is no market mechanism to include inertia generation as an ancillary service.

Can small applications be used instead of large flywheel energy storage systems?

Small applications connected in parallel can be used instead of large flywheel energy storage systems. There are losses due to air friction and bearing in flywheel energy storage systems. These cause energy losses with self-discharge in the flywheel energy storage system.

What are alternative energy sources for inertia emulation?

Additionally, alternative ESS such as flywheel and compressed-air energy storage also have been proven to supply inertia emulation (Yang et al., 2021, Mucci et al., 2021, Terlouw et al., 2019).

How efficient is a flywheel energy storage system?

Their efficiency is high during energy storage and energy transfer (>90 %). The performance of flywheel energy storage systems operating in magnetic bearing and vacuum is high. Flywheel energy storage systems have a long working life if periodically maintained (>25 years).