The main challenge of integrating renewable resources into the electric power system is to address the variability and uncertainty in these resources in a cost-efficient manner. Energy storage is a very flexible technology that may provide a solution that enables large-scale expansion of renewable resources and a faster transition to a low-carbon future energy system.

Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory are studying the impact of energy storage on the integration of solar and wind power generation systems into the grid from short-term operational as well as long-term planning perspectives. The project team uses advanced optimization methods, include stochastic programming, to estimate the benefits of energy storage to the power system as a whole as well as for the individual owners of energy storage facilities. The energy storage analysis is done under different assumptions about renewable penetration levels and electricity market design.