A real-life experience on 2nd life batteries services for Distribution System Operator

Abstract

This paper proposes an innovative use of the 2nd life Li-ion batteries, enabling "Storage as a service" for enhancing distribution network operations. Two different use cases have been evaluated at the Distribution System Operator (DSO) of the city of Terni (Italy) during the H2020 ELSA project: in the first one, the DSO manages the battery storage system to provide ancillary services (e.g., balance of Reactive Power, primary reserve) in order to increase the power quality and improve of the Low Voltage management efficiency; in the second use case, the batteries are leveraged by the District Energy Manager in order to perform peak shaving and power smoothing, implementing a power profile requested by the DSO. Test results have shown that 2nd life Li-ion batteries are suitable for some services and their usage in the power distribution network is promising for widespread applications. The experimentation on District Energy Manager is being continued under the work of the H2020 eDREAM project.