Grid Forming Battery

Storage

Julia Matevosyan
Chief Engineer
ESIG
6/8/2023

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Where Are We Today with Inverter-Based
Resources?

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Source: NREL adjusted with latest changes in Irelands and ERCOT
Weak Grid Issues

Example of Weak
▪ Majority of the inverters today are “grid-following”​ (GFL) Grid in ERCOT

▪ They read the voltage and frequency of the grid, lock

onto that, and inject power aligned with that signal.​
▪ That signal comes from large synchronous generators .
▪ The further wind and solar generation pockets are from
synchronous generation, the “weaker” the grid.​
▪ The signal is then easily perturbed by power injection
from wind and solar resources, making it hard for
inverters to lock onto it correctly.​
▪ This may lead to local instability issues.

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Inertia Issues

▪ Following a resource trip, the initial rate of change of frequency (prior to any resource response) is
solely a function of inertia. To date, primarily synchronous machines provide inertia to the system
▪ With increasing integration of inverter-base resources (IBR), there could be periods when total inertia
of the system could be low, as less synchronous machines will be dispatched to be online.

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Summary of Issues with High Shares of GFL IBRs

▪ GFL IBRs do not contribute to system inertia or system strength

▪ IBRs displace synch. gen. exacerbating weak grid and inertia issues
▪ GFL IBRs require sufficient system strength to operate and sufficient inertia (if providing
frequency response)
▪ Possible operating issues at high shares of GFL IBR:
– Deeper frequency deviations after contingencies due to diminishing inertia
– Inverter control interactions, due to low system strength
– Failure to ride through disturbances in reduced system strength conditions
– Protection issues
– Diminishing black start capability

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System Strength and Inertia Solutions

▪ There is a limit of how many GFL IBRs that can be accommodated (due to system strength
and inertia issues)
▪ System operators may limit the output of IBRs and supply the remaining load with
synchronous generators to ensure sufficient system strength and/or inertia (e.g. Australia,
Ireland, Texas)
− Such operational constraints in the long run may impact further development of IBRs
▪ Alternatively, other supplemental equipment is added to the grid, costs and benefits need
to be carefully assessed
▪ Grid forming (GFM) inverter technology is also being considered in recent years. GFM
IBRs can create their own voltage and frequency signal (islanded operation) or operate in
coordination with other GFM resources supporting stability of an interconnected grid.
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 GFM Batteries are a Low-Hanging Fruit

▪ GFM controls can potentially be implemented on any type of IBR

including new solar and wind
▪ GFM behavior requires a certain amount of energy buffer, which for
wind and solar resources means continuous operation below their
maximum available power production.
▪ In addition, GFM control in wind turbines may result in greater and
more frequent mechanical stress.
▪ The battery is the energy buffer, and only software modifications to a
battery’s controls are needed to make the battery a GFM resource –
batteries are the low-hanging fruit for GFM application.
Source: Neoen Australia
▪ Note, retrofitting existing GFL batteries to GFM may potentially bring
A number of batteries with GFM controls
additional costs and delays (model updates, re-studies, changes to have already been deployed around the
various contractual agreements) world, and further development is 7
happening at unprecedented speed
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 Grid Forming Batteries a Unique Window of
Opportunity

https://www.esig.energy/grid-forming-technology-in-energy-systems-integration/
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Source: LBNL, Queued Up: Characteristics of Power Plants Seeking Transmission
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Interconnection, https://emp.lbl.gov/queues
 Stability-Related Constraints & Renewable
Curtailments, with Example of ERCOT

Growth of Wind and Solar Curtailments as More

Capacity is Added to the ERCOT Grid, 2014-2020

Peak Load – 80 GW
Wind - 37.7 GW
Solar – 15 GW
Battery – 3 GW

71% instantaneous IBR

penetration in April 2022
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 Current Strategies to Relieve Stability
Constraints due to Weak Grids– Adding
Transmission Assets
New transmission lines to reduce electric
distance between high IBR areas with low
system strength and strong grid areas

Source: ERCOT, Strengthening the West Texas Grid to Mitigate

Widespread Inverter-Based Events – Operation Assessment
Results, Regional Planning Group meeting, Feb 2023

Source: Siemens Energy, Ian

Ramsay, EIPC Workshop,
June 2022 Source: iStockphoto/Yelantsevv

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 Existing and New Batteries Behind Constraints

In the absence of clear requirements and market incentives for GFM control capabilities, all planned batteries will
be built using GFL controls. This may increase systems’ needs for additional supplemental devices to improve
stability, which will drive-up overall system costs.

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 Grid Forming Controls as an Alternative for Grid
Strength Support

▪ GFM IBRs can be designed to provide, within equipment limits, Additional SynCon to
most of the services that are currently inherently provided by GFL IBR
improve stability
External
synchronous generators SC grid

▪ GFM IBRs have a stabilizing effect in weak grid areas and

improve stability for IBRs with GFL controls
GFL IBR
▪ If GFM controls are implemented on planned IBRs, they may GFL IBR
New GFM IBR
provide more cost-effective alternative to improve stability.
This is because the improvement is provided by the new IBRs
themselves as they are added to the system and addition of
supplemental transmission assets may not be needed. GFL IBR

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 GFM Battery Projects Deployed and Under
Construction

Table I.1: GFM BESS Projects Deployed or under Construction

Project Name Location Size (MW) Time
Project #1 Kauai,USA 13 2018
Kauai PMRF Kauai,USA 14 2022
Kapolei Energy Storage Hawaii, USA 185 2023
Hornsdale Power Reserve Australia 150 2022
Wallgrove Australia 50 2022
Broken Hill BESS Australia 50 2023
Riverina and Darlington Point Australia 150 2023
New England BESS Australia 50 2023
Dalrymple Australia 30 2018
Blackhillock Great Britain 300 2024
Bordesholm Germany 15 2019

Additionally, in Dec 2022, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced co-funding of additional eight
large scale GFM batteries across Australia with total project capacity of 2 GW/4.2 GWh, to be operational by 2025

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Source: NERC IRPS White Paper, Grid Forming Functional Specifications for BPS-Connected Battery Energy Storage Systems
 Grid Forming Specifications Landscape

▪ EU- funded MIGRATE project – proposed high level GFM functions – 2019
▪ ENSTO-E, High Penetration of Power Electronic Interfaced Power Sources (HPOPEIPS) – identified seven
properties of GFM plant – 2020
▪ VDE/FNN Guideline: Grid forming behavior of HVDC systems and Power Plant Modules – performance verification
procedure for grid forming – 2020
▪ Hawaiian Electric Company requested GFM functionality from all proposed projects that include battery storage –
high level functional requirements in combination with required model tests – 2019, 2021
▪ National Grid Electricity System Operator finalized GC0137 – non-mandatory GFM specification – Jan 2022
▪ EU-funded OSMOSE project – defined grid forming capability and new services – Apr 2022
▪ DOE-funded project UNIFI, Specifications for Grid-forming Technologies – functional requirements and performance
criteria for integrating GFM IBRs in electric power systems – Dec 2022
▪ NERC Inverter-Based Resource Performance Subcommittee (IRPS) Grid Forming Functional Specifications for
BPS-Connected Battery Energy Storage Systems: Functional Specifications, Verification, and Modeling –May 2023
▪ Australian Energy Market Operator – working on a draft of voluntary GFM specifications – May 2023
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Common Functionalities

Response to Response to
Active/Reac Provide Counter
voltage voltage
tive Power Damping Harmonics
phase angle magnitude
Sharing
step step

Response to
Response to
Faults
RoCoF event
(balanced and
(MW loss)
unbalanced)

Low SCR Island Black Start

Operation Operation
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Conclusions on Specifications

▪ GFM specifications is still a new topic and is developing together with GFM controls
▪ All specifications are similar in terms of functionalities, with main differences being around level of
specificity and if a requirement is explicit or implicit in a certain specified behavior
▪ Some of the requirements are more specific while others are high level, in some cases accompanied
with performance expectations during testing
▪ Balance is needed between incentivizing desired behavior (as synchronous machines are being
displaced) and allowing freedom in control implementation by OEMs
▪ High level requirements accompanied with more detailed performance guidelines seems to be a
preferred approach today
▪ Some functionalities can be implemented in grid following inverters as well; these shouldn’t be
included as a part of GFM specifications.

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 Opportunity to Future-proof Today’s
Installations

▪ Deploying GFM control capability in batteries is a low-hanging fruit solution to weak grid issues that increasingly are the
cause of stability-related transmission constraints, and renewable curtailments.
▪ But the opportunity for ISOs/RTOs/utilities to utilize this resource-based solution may soon pass.
▪ While only a relatively small number of utility-scale batteries are installed in the U.S. today, a significant amount of battery
capacity will likely be developed in the next few years.
▪ Without specifications and/or incentives for GFM, new batteries will be built with GFL controls, exacerbating stability
challenges and the need for additional stabilizing equipment such as synchronous condensers or new transmission.
▪ With specifications and incentives, new batteries will be installed with GFM capability and help to improve grid stability,
reduce curtailment, and reduce the need for additional stabilizing equipment.
▪ ISOs/RTOs/utilities can work with stakeholders to carry out studies of the benefits of deploying GFM technology and
initiate pilot projects
▪ Experience from installations around the world, particularly in Hawaii, Australia, and Great Britain, can be used as a
guide.
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THANK
YOU
Julia Matevosyan

julia@esig.energy
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