September 26, 2019 | 10:43 pm
THE Department of
Energy (DoE) has issued a circular that provides a framework for energy storage
systems (ESS) to address the growing adoption of renewable energy systems with
intermittent supply.
In issuing the circular,
the agency said it “recognizes the applications and the benefits of ESS as an
emerging technology in the improvement of the electric power system in
accordance to the objective of ensuring the quality, reliability, security and
affordability of the supply of electric power.”
Some forms of renewable
energy such as wind or solar would be more effective when paired with a storage
component because such a system could store power generated when there is no
demand for it, and then release it when required or when wind and solar plants
cannot operate because of weather conditions or during nighttime.
The DoE said in other
jurisdictions, technologies involving energy storage systems are applied to
serve a variety of functions in the generation, transmission and distribution
of electricity, including energy generation, peak shaving and ancillary
services.
Ahead of the circular’s
issuance, the DoE said it conducted a review of all relevant policies and
guidelines, and existing practices in other jurisdictions to ensure the optimal
use of energy storage systems in the Philippines.
The DoE said energy
storage systems are to operate within the framework of generation companies
whose facilities supply electricity to the grid or the power distribution
system. The power grid is the high-voltage backbone system of interconnected
transmission lines, substations and related facilities in Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao.
The system operator
will provide central dispatch to grid-connected and embedded energy storage systems
with material impact to the grid. This is in the interest of achieving economic
operation and maintenance of quality, stability, reliability and security of
the transmission system.
Energy storage systems
will also follow limitations relating to market share and bilateral contracts
under Section 45 of Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform
Act of 2001 (EPIRA).
Under the circular, ESS
technologies include battery energy storage systems that are capable of storing
electric energy electrochemically from which they are able to charge or
discharge electric energy.
The other covered
energy storage technologies are compressed air, flywheel and pumped-storage
hydropower.
Compressed air energy
storage uses electric energy to inject high-pressure air containers. When
electricity is required, the pressurized air is heated and expanded in an
expansion turbine driving a generator or power production.
Flywheel energy storage
uses electric energy to accelerate a rotating mass, called a “rotor,” to store
kinetic energy. Electricity is extracted from the system by drawing down the
kinetic energy from the rotor.
Pumped-storage
hydropower uses electric energy to pump water from a lower-elevation reservoir
to one at a higher elevation. When required, the water flows back from the
upper to the lower reservoir, powering a turbine with a generator to produce
electric energy.
The DoE said proponents
may apply and register their energy storage systems for a number of purposes:
provision of ancillary services; provision of energy through bilateral supply
contracts or trading in the wholesale electricity spot market; and to manage
the penetration of renewable energy.
They may also register
their facilities as auxiliary load management for generation companies; transmission/distribution
facility upgrades deferment; transmission congestion relief; end-user demand
management; distribution utility demand management; and distribution utility
power quality management.
The DoE has called on
the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to assist in the implementation of the
circular, which will take effect immediately after its publication in two
newspapers of general circulation. The circular was published on Sept. 18,
2019. — Victor V. Saulon
No comments:
Post a Comment