Microgrid Selection and Operation for Commercial Buildings in California and New York States

The addition of storage technologies such as lead-acid batteries, flow batteries, or heat storage can potentially improve the economic and environmental attractiveness of onsite generation such as PV, fuel cells, reciprocating engines or microturbines (with or without CHP), and can contribute to enhanced demand response. Preliminary analyses for a Californian nursing home indicate that storage technologies respond effectively to time-varying electricity prices, i.e. by charging batteries during periods of low electricity prices and discharging them during peak hours. While economic results do not make a compelling case for storage, they indicate that storage technologies significantly alter the residual load profile, which may lower carbon emissions as well as energy costs depending on the test site, its load profile, and DER technology adoption.