Study of Battery Energy Storage System in a Weak Distribution Grid with

Distributed Energy Generation Penetration

*Yasser Althubaity, Mohammed Alsaba, National Grid, Saudi Arabia;

Dr. Muhammad Khalid, King Fahad University for Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia.

*[email protected]
Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Abstract— This paper presents the computer simulation of weak distribution system and the utilization
of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to comply with the grid code regulation of frequency and
voltage. As the frequency variations are more dependent on the power capacity and the voltage
variations are more dependent on the placement of the battery energy storage system, this paper will
also investigate the optimal size and location of placing an energy storage in a weak radial distribution
grid with a high penetration of solar power based on the size and place of the integrated solar. The
method used for the optimal location is based on the network impedance matrix to obtain an analytical
solution instead of using a recursive algorithm such as power flow generation.

I. Introduction
Electric utility companies are concerned about the high penetration of photovoltaics (PVs) because of
challenges and concerns associated with the integration [5], [7] & [8]. Those concerned includes power
quality issues mainly Harmonics, Frequency and voltage variations, power variations and fluctuations
optimal Location of renewable energy systems, Islanding and synchronization issues and voltage
Imbalance issues. Therefore, strategies are investigated to mitigating those challenges and to maintain
power supply reliability, stability, quality and continuities [5] & [15]. Energy storage is an expensive
investment and it is important to use the energy storage to its full potential to justify it. The utilization of
the Battery Energy Storage to regulate the Frequency and voltage and the optimal output power capacity
and location of BESS in the distribution are some of important factors to consider to be able to utilize the
energy storage to its full potential.

Since battery energy storages entry on the market, the research around them have been extensive. [11],
[18]-[20] have classified one of the major studies of the area is analyzing the microgrid transients and
stability and how to model and simulate a battery energy storage system as an accurate model of the
BESS describing not only the State of Energy (SOE) but also the electrical dynamics. [12]– [14] showed
how the battery energy storage can be used to allow a larger penetration of solar or wind power on the
power grid. Moreover, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are one of the solutions to load leveling
& Peak shaving, Frequencies and voltage smoothing with the advance charging and discharging control
of the Battery storage system [5] & [21].

Emerging method to calculate the placement and power capacity of a battery energy storage system are
discussed and created in [6] & [15], they use algorithms to calculate the capacity and placement in a
transmission grid under fixed load conditions.

Other researches focus on the placement of energy storage in power systems with a high penetration of
wind power [16] & [22], which the economics to minimize the cost of installation and the cost of energy
supply. More study is [17], showed that the battery energy storage should be placed as close as possible
to the highest load in a strong power grid with high penetration of wind power

In This paper, the placement in a weak distribution grid is focused on instead of the traditional approach
in a transmission grid. The paper also has included actual simulated solar irradiation and variable loads
in a weak grid while studying the effect on power quality depending on the optimal size and optimal
placement in the power grid. The use of variable loads and optimal size and location adds extra factors
of realistic studies to accurate simulations while minimizing the cost
 II. Methodology
Grid integration of BESS through grid-tie inverter helps to improve the frequency and voltage profile
at that bus as well as other buses in the network depending on the topology of the system. When a solar
energy source injects power into the system, voltages in the network change depending on the location
of the solar sources and impedances of the system. The problem arises when the frequency and the
voltage of one or several buses goes above the regulated grid code especially with high PV penetration
level or drop under standard limit at high load level. The focus of this paper is to investigate the power
capacity and placement of a battery energy storage system effect on the power quality in a weak power
grid with a high penetration of solar power with variable residential loads. The paper will also cover the
placement and the power capacity of the battery energy storage system as they are two of the
parameters that determine how much the power quality will be improved.
Finding the minimum size and best place for BESS to improve the voltage profile at the maximum
possible number of nodes. This will allow benefiting from the maximum capacity of solar while reducing
the power quality deficiency at high penetration levels.

A. Weak Distribution Power Grid

A weak power grid can be defined in different ways. Two general definitions of a weak power grid is by
its weak connection to the main grid, examples are offshore wind farms and many grids in development
countries [24], or by looking at the consumers and producers. In a weak power grid the producers and
consumers can affect the function of the power grid easily. One commonly used way to define a weak
AC power grid in science reports is by its low short circuit ratio, SCR. A low SCR is often characterized
by a high direct current, a high impedance and a low part mechanical inertia in the power grid, causing
large frequency and voltage fluctuations [25]–[28]. One way to decide if the SCR is low is through a
comparison between the short circuit apparent power, Ssc, and the installed capacity for the generation
power plant, Sn. Eq.1 shows how to calculate the SCR.
𝑆𝑠𝑐
𝑆𝐶𝑅 = (1)
𝑆𝑛

With Eq. 1 a statement about the strength of the power grids can be done. A strong power grid is
considered to be a power grid with a SCR above 20 [29], [30] and a weak power grid is considered to be
a power grid with a SCR below 10 [30]. The short circuit power is calculated through a short circuit fault
at the place in the power grid where the strength of the grid should be calculated. The impedances of
the power lines create different SCR at every bus on the power grid. With Eq. 2 the short circuit apparent
power can be calculated. U is the phase to phase voltage on the power grid, ISC is the short circuit
current from the short circuit fault in the power grid and 1.1 is a coefficient applied by IEC 60909 to take
account for the voltage cables at the fault. [31].
SSC = 1.1 U  √3 ISC (2)
The short circuit current is calculated at the fault in the power grid with Eq. 3. ZSC is all the impedances
that the current have flown through from the generator to the fault [32]. There are different equations for
the different type of faults and Eq. 3 is for a three-phase fault:
U
𝐼𝑆𝐶 = (3)
√3 ∗𝑍𝑆𝐶

As can be seen in figure (1), the zone 1 reach is usually covers 80% of the line, so that it should not over
reach the remote end. In this zone, the relay should clear any fault instantaneously. Whereas, the reach
for zone 2 can be extended to cover the whole line and 50% of the adjacent line, in order to provide a
back-up protection for remote end faults. Inherently, zone 2 is delayed to trip in 0.4 seconds, to be
coordinated with zone 1 of the adjacent lines. Further zones can be used to provide remote back up for
remote ends of adjacent lines with extended operating times [8].
B. Power Quality on Weak Grids

One of the major challenges in a weak power grid is the impact one producer or consumer can have on
the power grid. If one producer or consumer have problems with their role in the power grid the whole
power grid can be affected. This is why weak power grids have longer time of errors and larger frequency
variations than strong power grids [5]. High frequency variation creates technical issues such as
instability in the power grid [33], [27] and forces the grid operator to invest in voltage and frequency
regulation [24], [33].

The most common error in the weak power grid are voltage dips, which can effect customers and cause
black outs or brown outs. A study showed that up to 80 % of the short time errors was due to voltage
dips [34]. A voltage dip is a sudden decrease of the voltage level in the power grid [24]. The fluctuations
in node voltages comes from the voltage drops due to the line impedances. Comparing a weak power
grid to a strong power grid, the fluctuations and transients in voltage is more common in the weak power
grid, both under dynamic state and in steady state [33]. Adding on the already mentioned voltage
problems, the voltage stability also is sensitive to changes in the reactive power, which increases the
voltage fluctuations even more [33].

The dependence of weak power grids on single producers and consumers makes it harder to match the
active power for the grid operator [24]. The mismatch in active power creates fluctuations in the
frequency. The lack of inertia in weak power grids gives the power grid a low regulating capacity which
leads to even more problems in frequency stability [33].

The voltage and frequency variations creates stability issues on the power grid and even more issues
on a weak power grid [33]. The system operators are responsible for the grid and they set grid codes.
Because of the larger problems with stability in a weak power grid, the general grid code in a weak power
grid is stricter than in the big stable power grids [30]. The stricter grid code is because of the need to be
able to give a reliable and stable power grid with a consistent power quality.

C. Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

The battery energy storage system (BESS) mainly consist of three parts, batteries, a power conversion
system (PCS) and a control system called battery management system (BMS). The batteries and the
PCS are the major electronic components in the system and both of the technologies go through a rapid
development [35]. In Figure 1, the main structure of a BESS is presented. It consists of a battery sending
out DC-power towards the PCS, which converts the power to AC and a transformer that transforms the
voltage to match the utility and loads. The BMS is acting as the control unit for the batteries as well as
the PCS.

Figure 1: Overview of a battery energy storage system connected to the utility

D. Capacity and Economics of Battery Energy Storage

The size-range of BESS is large and will keep on growing as the grid connected BESS can be everything
from 2 kW up to 50 MW and have a capacity from 5 kWh up to MWhs [36]. This makes the BESS unique
in the way that it can provide services on all types of grid levels. They can act as stabilizer for renewable
energy or at any substation at high voltage, medium voltage or low voltage. The smaller BESS can be
connected anywhere on the low voltage grid and the 2 kW module is predicted to be the commonly used
one for private persons to combine with their own solar power [36].

The technology of batteries is under development and one of the most important factors to improve is
the economic aspect to make it an easier choice [36]. It is proved that owning a BESS connected to the
grid can create earnings through energy regulation and frequency regulation, but the earnings will not
exceed the cost of the BESS [37].

E. Optimal Battery Sizing and Allocation

The optimal size and location method used in this paper is mainly based on [23] in which the power
system is represented in terms of impedance matrix which is a fast and powerful tool for power system
analysis. Then the minimum transferring active and reactive power through BESS and inverter is
formulated as a function of solar energy penetration, and location of solar, battery. Afterwards, new
techniques to model the slack and PV buses, during impedance matrix analysis, to increase the accuracy
of the proposed approach. in the proposed approach in [23], instead of using load flow analysis which is
a recursive algorithm, the modified impedance matrix analysis is employed which leads to an analytical
solution. The size and place of BESS is directly obtained from the optimization using the developed
functions compared with the time consuming scanning approaches.

III. Simulation Results

A. Battery Energy Storage System Model

The BESS model was implemented in MATLAB Simulink. The model uses the active and reactive power
control system to control the battery unit. The model has three important parts: the battery, the DC/AC
conversion and the control system of the BESS. The model is connected to a load and a voltage source
that sends the control signal to decide if the battery should charge or discharge.

The battery is Lithium-ion which is used for the simulation, with an output voltage of 50 V. Moreover, the
conversion part of a BESS that is not connected with other DC-units consist of a bi-directional inverter,
a LCL-filter and a transformer. The transformer has a low-side voltage of 50 V and a high-side voltage
of 400 V. Furthermore, the control system is controlled with the help of the power reference from the load
and voltage source and the voltage at the load. The power reference changes between a deficit and a
surplus of power.

Figure 2: Overview of BESS model

B. Power Grid Model

The power grid model was also implemented in MATLAB Simulink. The model represents a small
distribution grid with a generator and a solar power plant as generation units for the system. The
generation is positioned in a medium voltage power grid at 5500 V where also a constant load is located.
The medium voltage power grid is connected to a distribution grid at 400 V by a transformer. The
distribution grid consists of three different variable loads with different size and a total of six loads, two
of each load type.

The power grid is built as a radial net project with generation feeding the distribution grid. The distribution
grid consists of two similar distribution lines where the only difference is the order of the loads. The
medium load is located in the middle of each line but on the line with bus 7-9 the small load is at the end
and for the line with bus 10-12 the large load is at the end. The busses can be seen in Figure 2

The BESS is controlled by the difference in produced power of the generation units and the power
consumed by the loads. When there is too much power in the power grid, the BESS act as a load that
consumes the margin power from the power grid and when there is not enough power in the power grid
the BESS acts as a voltage source that assists the generation units. The BESS can be connected at any
bus in the system. In Figure 3 the power grid model is presented as a one line diagram.

Figure 3: One line diagram of the created power grid

C. Weak Power Grid

When the BESS placed at bus 12 there was no errors at any bus according to the grid code (see
Figure.4). The highest values of frequency and voltage deviation for all busses can be seen in Table 1.
Table 1 also shows that with the right placement no errors occurred on the distribution grid. The highest
voltage deviation appeared at the largest distance from the BESS.

Figure 4: One line diagram of the created power grid

 Table - I: Styles Number Of Errors Compared To The Swedish Grid Code And The Highest Values Of Voltage
Deviation And Frequency With Bess At The Best Placement Of Bess

Quality Measures
Bus Highest voltage Number of frequency
Number of voltage errors Highest/Lowest frequency [Hz]
deviation [%] errors
7 4.4 0 49.92 0
8 4.5 0 49.92 0
9 4.5 0 49.92 0
10 4.0 0 49.92 0
11 4.0 0 49.92 0
12 3.8 0 49.92 0
7 4.4 0 49.92 0
8 4.5 0 49.92 0

D. Best Location and Size of BESS

The best placement turned out to be at bus 12, the bus that had the worst power quality without a BESS
installed. Bus 12 is also at the end of one of the distribution lines and as a four person house it is one of
the largest loads in the simulation. This proves that the same theory to put the BESS at the largest load
can be used when placement in weak power grids is decided.

E. Conclusion
The aim of this paper was to study the placement and the power capacity of a battery energy storage
affects the power quality in a weak distribution grid. To reach the aim a distribution grid model was
implemented in MATLAB Simulink and four simulations were made.
.
The BESS can act as both a voltage source and a load in the power grid during its charge and discharge
process. This makes it possible for the BESS to act as a power balance unit on the power grid. The
variable parts of the system cause the instability in the power grid model. There are seven variable units
in the model, six of them are different loads and the last one is the solar power plant. The loads cause
the largest part of the instability in the distribution grid when they switch between the different
consumption levels. The impedances of the power lines amplifies the instability created by the loads.
These are the two important factors for instability in the system.

When the BESS was connected to the distribution grid at the worst location the number of errors
decreased to only a few errors in voltage deviation and no error in frequency. This proved that a BESS
successfully can act as a regulation unit for both voltage and frequency even when placed at a suboptimal
spot. The effect of the BESS could be improved by its placement. When the optimal placement at bus
12 was used, the number of errors according to the grid code was down to zero for both frequency and
voltage deviation. The best placement of the BESS was at the bus with the highest amplitude in both
frequency variation and voltage deviation, which was at the end of a power line and at the bus with the
highest load. The placement of the BESS is more important when trying to regulate the voltage deviation
than the frequency, but both benefits from a good placement.

This paper shows that the instability in the power grid model is created by the variable loads in the
distribution grid and is then amplified by the impedances of the power lines, where a higher impedance
amplified the amplitude of the errors more. It is possible to alter the model between a strong and a weak
power grid by changing the parameters of the power line impedances. The effect of a weak power grid
is a much more unstable power quality. A BESS can act as a regulation unit for the distribution grid and
can meet the power balance difficulties during deficit as well as surplus of power on the power grid. To
get the most effect out of the installed BESS, it should be able to cover all of the power grids power
balance issues and it is important to place the BESS at the bus with the largest problems, which is most
likely to be at the largest load. The frequency is more dependent on the power capacity and the voltage
deviation shows more dependence on the placement, but both of them experience good effects with the
right power capacity and placement of the BESS.

F. References

[1] D. W. Gao, Energy Storage for Sustainable Microgrid Chapter 1. Academic Press,
2015.
[2] REN21 (2010). Renewables 2010 Global Status Report Pg. 15.
[3] Jonas Lindstens. (2017). “Study of a battery energy storage system in a weak
distribution grid (Master Project)”. Retrieved from Uppsala University Dissertations &
Theses Full Text (ISSN 1650-8300; 17 016)
[4] S. Chakraborty, M. G. Simoes, and W. E. Kramer, Power Electronics for Renewable
and Distributed Energy Systems: A Sourcebook of Topologies, Control and Integration, vol.
59. 2013.
[5] A. S. Anees, "Grid integration of renewable energy sources: Challenges issues and
possible solutions", Proc. 5th IEEE International Conf. on Power Electronics (IICPE), pp. 1-6,
2012
[6] S.B. Karanki, D. Xu, "Optimal Capacity and Placement of Battery Energy Storage
Systems for Integrating Renewable Energy Sources in Distribution System", 2016 National
Power Systems Conference (NPSC), 2016.
[7] R. Passey, T. Spooner, I. MacGill, M. Watt, and K. Syngellakis. The potential impacts
of grid-connected distributed generation and how to address them: A review of technical
and nontechnical factors. Energy Policy, 39(10):6280–6290, October 2011.
[8] H. Kuang, S. Li, and Z. Wu, "Discussion on advantages and disadvantages of
distributed generation connected to the grid," in 2011 International Conference on Electrical
and Control Engineering (ICECE). IEEE, 16-18 September 2011, pp. 170-173.
[9] ABB Energy Storage Modules (ESM) catalogues at www.abb.com
[10] The Saudi Arabia Grid Code updated as of Jun 2017, WWW.ECRA.GOV.SA.
[11] T. Xia, M. Li, P. Zi, L. Tian, X. Qin, and N. An, “Modeling and simulation of Battery
Energy Storage System (BESS) used in power system,” Proc. 5th IEEE Int. Conf. Electr. Util.
Deregulation, Restruct. Power Technol. DRPT 2015, pp. 2120–2125, 2016.
[12] C. A. Hill, M. C. Such, D. Chen, J. Gonzalez, and W. M. Grady, “Battery energy storage
for enabling integration of distributed solar power generation,” IEEE Trans. Smart Grid, vol.
3, no. 2, pp. 850–857, 2012.
[13] J. Mcdowall, “Integrating energy storage with wind power in weak electricity grids,”
vol. 162, pp. 959–964, 2006.
[14] M. Lei et al., “Design of Energy Storage Control Strategy to Improve the PV System
Power Quality,” IEEE, vol. IECON 2016, pp. 0–5, 2016.
[15] H. Nazaripouya, Y. Wang, P. Chu, H. R. Pota, and R. G. Members, “Optimal Sizing and
Placement of Battery Energy Storage in Distribution System Based on Solar Size for Voltage
Regulation,” IEEE, vol. Power & En, pp. 0–4, 2015.
[16] A. Erduman and B. Uzuno, “Storage Commitment and Placement for an
Interconnected Island System with High Wind Penetration, Gotland,” IEEE, vol. ICRERA, pp.
605–609, 2014.
[17] P. M. Quevedo and J. Contreras, “Optimal placement of energy storage and wind
power under uncertainty,” MDPI, vol. Energies 2, no. 7, p. 528, 2016.
[18] M. T. Lawder et al., "Battery energy storage system (BESS) and battery management
system (BMS) for grid-scale applications", Proc. IEEE, vol. 102, no. 6, pp. 1014-1030, May
2014.
[19] B. Sang, J. Hu, G. Li, J. Xue & J. Ye. “Equivalent modeling method of battery energy
storage system in multi-time scales.” IEEE 8th International Power Electronics and Motion
Control Conference (IPEMC-ECCE Asia), May 2016
[20] A. Rahmoun, A. Armstorfer, H. Biechl, A. Rosin, "Mathematical Modeling of a Battery
Energy Storage System in Grid Forming Mode", presented at 58th International Scientific
Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering of Riga Technical University, October 12-13,
2017.
[21] R. Sebastián, "Application of a battery energy storage for frequency regulation and
peak shaving in a wind diesel power system", IET Gen. Trans. & Dist., vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 764-
770, 2016.
[22] F. Adamek, M. Arnold, G. Andersson, "On decisive storage parameters for minimizing
energy supply costs in multicarrier energy systems", Sustainable Energy IEEE Transactions,
vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 102-109, 2014.
[23] H. Nazaripouya, Y. Wang, P. Chu, H. R. Pota, R. and Gadh, "Optimal sizing and
placement of battery energy storage in distribution system based on solar size for voltage
regulation", Power & Energy Society General Meeting 2015 IEEE, pp. 1-5, 2015, July.
[24] J. Merino, P. Mendoza-Araya, and C. Veganzones, “State of the art and future trends
in grid codes applicable to isolated electrical systems,” Energies, vol. 7, no. 12, pp. 7936–
7954, 2014.
[25] L. Rouco and L. Sigrist, “Active and Reactive Power Control of Battery Energy Storage
Systems in Weak Grids,” IEEE, vol. IREP, Augu, pp. 1–7, 2013.
[26]
[27] T. R. Ayodele, A. Jimoh, J. L. Munda, and A. J. Tehile, “Challenges of Grid Integration
of Wind Power on Power System Grid Integrity: A Review,” Int. J. Renew. Energy Res., vol. 2,
no. 4, pp. 618–626, 2012.
[28] A. S. Subburaj and S. B. Bayne, “Battery and Wind System in Weak / Strong Grid
Analysis,” IEEE, vol. Industry A, pp. 1–6, 2015.
[29]
[30] IEEE, “IEEE Guide for Planning DC Links Terminating at AC Locations Having Low
Short- Circuit Capacities,” IEEE Std 1204-1997, p. i, 1997.
[31] M. F. Farias, P. E. Battaiotto, and M. G. Cendoya, “Wind farm to weak-grid
connection using UPQC custom power device,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Ind. Technol., pp. 1745–
1750, 2010.
[32] N. P. W. Strachan and D. Jovcic, “Stability of a variable-speed permanent magnet
wind generator with weak AC grids,” IEEE Trans. Power Deliv., vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 2779–2788,
2010.
[33] Schneider Electric, “Short-circuit power,” MT Parten., vol. B12, 2004.
[34]
[35] B. De Metz-Noblat, F. Dumas, and C. Poulain, “Schneider - Cahier technique no 158.
Calculation of short-circuit currents,” Schneider Electr. Updat., no. 158, p. 6, 2005.
[36]
[37] A. Etxegarai, P. Eguia, E. Torres, A. Iturregi, and V. Valverde, “Review of grid
connection requirements for generation assets in weak power grids,” Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 41. Elsevier, pp. 1501–1504, 2015.
[38] EPRI, “Voltage Sags, Swells and Interruptions Characterized in DPQ Phase II Project,”
2005.
[39] K. C. Divya and J. Østergaard, “Battery energy storage technology for power systems-
An overview,” Electr. Power Syst. Res., vol. 79, no. 4, pp. 511–520, 2009.
[40] R. Bussar et al., “Battery Energy Storage for Smart Grid Applications,” EUROBAT,
2013.
[41] S. Dahlke, “Evaluating the Economics for Energy Storage in the Midcontinent : A
Battery Benefit-Cost Analysis,” Gt. Plains Inst., vol. July, 2016.

G. Biographies

1st Yasser Althubaity received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from King Fahd University of
Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in January 2014. He joined National Grid-SA in May 2014, and now
he holds a position of protection engineer at the protection engineering department. Currently, he is
pursuing his MS degree at KFUPM in the field of Electrical Engineering (Power). His research interests
include: power system protection, energy storage systems, renewable energy resources, and power
system planning.

2nd Mohammed Alsaba received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from King Fahd University of
Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in May 2000 and MS degree in Electrical Engineering from King Fahd
University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in June 2007. He joined National Grid-SA in May 2014,
and now he holds a position of Sr. protection engineer expert at the protection engineering department.
Currently, he is pursuing his PhD degree at KFUPM in the field of Electrical Engineering (Power). His
research interests include: power system planning, renewable energy resources, and power system
stability.

3rd Dr. Muhammad Khalid received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the School of
Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (EE&T), University of New South Wales (UNSW),
Sydney, Australia, in 2011, where he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for three years, and then, he
continued as a Sr. Research Associate with the School of EE&T, Australian Energy Research Institute,
for another two years. He is currently an Assistant Professor with the Electrical Engineering Department,
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He is also a
Researcher with the K.A.CARE Energy Research and Innovation Center. He has authored/coauthored
several journal and conference papers in the field of control and optimization for renewable power
systems. His current research interests include the optimization and control of battery energy storage
systems for large-scale grid-connected renewable power plants (particularly wind and solar), distributed
power generation and dispatch, hybrid energy storage, EVs, and smart grids. Dr. Khalid was a recipient
of a Highly Competitive Postdoctoral Writing Fellowship from UNSW, in 2010. Most recently, he has
received a prestigious K.A.CARE Fellowship. In addition, he has been a Reviewer for numerous
international journals and conferences.