Helping to try and meet this goal, electricity storage devices can manage the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is greatest, which is during peak load. These devices can also help make renewable energy, whose power output cannot be controlled by grid operators, smooth and dispatchable.

They can also balance microgrids to achieve a good match between generation and load. Storage devices can provide frequency regulation to maintain the balance between the network's load and power generated, and they can achieve a more reliable power supply for high tech industrial facilities. Thus, energy storage and power electronics hold substantial promise for transforming the electric power industry.

Benefits

• Providing smooth grid integration of renewable energy by reducing variability
• Storing renewable generation peaks for use during demand peaks
• Flattening demand peaks, thereby reducing stress on grid equipment
• Providing infrastructure support as loads increase with electric vehicle use
• Decreasing or eliminating the power fees related to short time peak loads
• Maintaining generation and demand balance