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At least 19 records

Impact of Electrolyte Solvent on Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /LiNi 0.90 Mn 0.05 Co 0.05 O 2 Battery Performance for Behind-the-Meter Storage Applications

Behind-the-Meter Storage (BTMS) systems require dedicated development of battery materials that target long cycle life and low cost at the system level. Pairing Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) and LiNi 0.9 Mn 0.05 Co 0.05 O 2 (NMC90-5-5) shows promise to achieve targets for BTMS applications; however, minimal literature is available that discusses electrolyte solvent selection for this pairing. This study explores the role of electrolyte solvent on cycle life in LTO/NMC90-5-5 batteries. Four model electrolytes are evaluated; the baseline, Gen2, is compared with 1M LiPF 6 added to each of three separate solvents: ethylene carbonate (EC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC). An additional consideration is that NMC90-5-5 undergoes an H2→H3 phase transition that allows for a significant increase to capacity; however, it’s unclear how this phase transition impacts electrolyte stability and cycle life. Therefore, the phase transition is avoided or accessed by cycling to 2.6V or 2.7V, respectively. The cells with Gen2, cycled to 2.6V, show the highest capacity retention due to EC passivating the LTO, EMC improving stability at the NMC90-5-5, and avoiding increased degradation from the 2.7V protocol. Despite having high initial reactivity that causes Li-depletion, FEC was the only solvent to avoid increased degradation when moving to the higher termination voltage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE

Electrolyte and Cutoff Potential Effects on Cycle Life of Li4Ti5O12/LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 Batteries for Behind-the-Meter Storage Applications

Behind-the-Meter Storage (BTMS) is a stationary battery energy storage system that is connected to the electrical distribution system on the customer's side of the utility's service meter. BTMS systems are used to store electrical energy from the grid as well as inconstant, renewable energy, such as local solar and wind generation. A successful BTMS system will allow the customer to pair their energy generation and storage to optimize electrical consumption from the grid, improving reliability and minimizing cost. For BTMS applications, batteries must be designed and optimized with different set of criteria from other leading segments of the Li-ion battery market, like transportation, due the system being stationary and proximal to the residential or commercial building it's benefitting. BTMS applications prioritize safety, cost (low/no-critical materials), reliability (20-year calendar life), and durability (10,000 cycle life), while having the ability to (minimally) compromise energy density and rate capability. Lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12-, LTO) is a promising anode candidate for BTMS applications due to its high safety and capacity retention, while maintaining a reasonable 160 mAhg-1 reversable capacity and composition of relatively abundant materials. (1) Specifically, LTO has a high working voltage which helps to prevent Li dendrite formation, improving safety. Furthermore, LTO also has negligible lithiation-based volume change, leading to less mechanical pulverization, or loss of active material, upon cycling. For the cathode, materials with little or no Co are of high interest due to the high cost and low abundance of Co. LiMn2O4 (LMO) has been paired with LTO for BTMS applications in the past due to its safety, low cost (abundancy), and reasonably high operating voltage. (2-4) However, the low capacity of LMO limits energy density and specific energy. While not the highest priority for BTMS applications, increasing energy density will enable deployment in space constrained BTMS applications and decrease total cost. LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 (LN-MO) is a recently developed material with promise due to its high operating voltage and relatively low price. (5) However, Ni-rich layered oxides, including LNMO, tend to struggle with capacity retention during high-voltage cycling due to mechanical pulverization, irreversible phase transitions, and unstable solid-electrolyte interphase. The study presented here focuses on building an understanding of how electrolyte solvent and varied cutoff potentials will impact the cycle life of LTO/LN-MO cells. Specifically, a comparison is provided between ethylene carbonate (EC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), and Gen2 electrolyte solvents with 1M Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) salt, cycling to two upper termination potentials, 2.6V and 2.7V. Electrochemical testing and diagnostics (e.g., differential capacity analysis, area specific impedance, constant voltage hold, and rate capability) and post-mortem characterization will be used to understand the aging behavior and failure mechanisms of the 8 cell combinations (four electrolytes and two voltage cutoffs). Cells with FEC electrolyte showed a lower initial capacity compared to cells with Gen2, EMC, and EC cycling at both voltages; however, the cells with FEC showed consistent trends in capacity retention with 2.6V and 2.7V termination potentials, while the cells with the other electrolytes showed much higher rates of capacity loss when cycling to the higher voltage. These results indicate that FEC may play a role in improving durability of high-voltage, Ni-rich electrode systems for use in high-cycle applications, such as BTMS.

electrolyte

Investigation of Nonflammable Electrolytes for Behind-the-Meter Storage Batteries

Behind-the-Meter Storage (BTMS) is a battery-based, stationary energy storage system that is connected to the residential or industrial customer's side of the electrical grid utility service meter. BTMS systems enable consumers to (A) economically schedule charging and usage of stored energy, (B) store and use energy from on-site generation, especially from inconstant, renewable sources like solar and wind, and (C) avoid overloading the grid during peak hours via supplementation with stored energy. BTMS battery performance requirements and general priorities differentiate from other applications, like EVs, which has prompted the development of batteries with tailored electrode and electrolyte materials. These materials prioritize low cost, avoiding critical materials; longevity, achieving 8000 cycle and 20-year shelf lives; and importantly, high safety. Nonflammable electrolytes show promise to improve safety by mitigating thermal runaway, yet often come with sacrifices to battery performance. In this presentation (1) primary categories of nonflammable electrolytes will be discussed; (2) a rational design of experiment will be presented for efficient performance evaluation of several nonflammables electrolyte in BTMS-relevant battery chemistry, Li4Ti5O12- and LiNi0.90Mn0.10O2; and (3) preliminary results will be presented.

battery

Laser ablation of high-loading Li-ion battery electrodes improves accessible capacity and cycle life for Behind-the-Meter Storage

Adoption of Behind-the-Meter Storage (BTMS) requires design of batteries that enable high safety, long cycle life, and low cost at the system level. Pairing Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) with LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO) achieves targets related to safety and cycle life, but these materials' low energy densities contribute to higher cost at the system scale. Increasing electrode loading is a simple approach to improve energy density, but comes with a trade-off in electrode utilization due to long, tortuous Li + diffusion pathways. Here, laser ablation is used to microstructure (pattern) high-loading electrodes to enhance electrode performance through improved Li + diffusion pathways. Four cell types, comprising combinations of standard or patterned anode and cathode, were prepared to evaluate the effects of laser ablation at each electrode. A rate test shows that patterning electrodes enhances active material utilization at ≳1C rates. Patterning the cathode yields the most benefit, as cells with a patterned cathode demonstrate a ~20% higher accessible capacity than those without at 1.4C. Additionally, 1C capacity retention of cells with patterned cathode (91% through 3000 cycles) is significantly improved over cells with only the anode patterned (64%) and non-patterned electrodes (50%). Characterization of post-mortem cells before and after refreshing their electrolyte suggests that 1C capacity retention is improved by mitigation of electrode "dry-out". We hypothesize that the microstructure acts as a reservoir of additional electrolyte, or a path for gas to escape, so that active material remains wetted throughout long-term cycling, and/or the microstructure may reduce localized, gas-forming overpotentials in the high-loading electrode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE

Parallel derivative-free optimization for simulation-based design of behind-the-meter energy systems

In this work, the integrated design and dispatch of behind-the-meter or distributed resources (e.g. stationary battery storage and solar PV generation) is considered. A simulation-based framework is employed, generating high-fidelity results with closed-loop predictive control at a fine resolution, at the expense of high computational cost (several minutes to a few hours per design point). To address this challenge, parallel derivative-free design methods are considered. Four methods are compared, including state-of-the-art surrogate-based methods (Radial-Basis Functions and Gaussian processes) and sampling strategies, an evolutionary-based method, and a simple sequential grid refinement method. As a case study, two types of design problem with increasing complexity are considered, namely, the design of behind-the-meter resources (three design variables) and the inclusion of grid capacity (four design variables). The second yields a constrained design problem for which violations can only be determined after solving the computationally expensive simulation. For the three-dimensional case, all methods present a good performance, achieving a solution within 1% of the optimum after the first iteration, with the sequential grid refinement exhibiting the fastest convergence and achieving the best final objective value. This indicates that the parallel evaluation of multiple sampling points may be more important than the choice of method for small decision spaces. For the four-dimensional constrained case, the Genetic Algorithm presents the best tradeoff between performance and computational effort, while the rough objective function terrain generated by constraint violation penalties reduces the performance of surrogate-based methods. Contour plots with flat regions indicate flexibility in the optimal design and highlight the importance of characterizing the solution space.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

Thermal and electric multidomain dynamic model for integration of power grid distribution with behind-the-meter devices

As renewable energy sources like solar and wind power become more integrated into the grid, coordinated control of behind-the-meter devices is crucial for enhancing grid flexibility and reliability and for meeting cost targets, with standardized models being developed to support this transition. The increasing flexibility and uncertainty of integrated renewable energy grids, along with interactions between various subsystems, make traditional steady-state modeling insufficient to capture transient and dynamic behaviors. Current models (e.g., composite load and battery equivalent models) focus on thermodynamic or electrical characteristics but overlook critical electromechanical interactions. This limits the ability to share performance information for grid services and hampers fast dynamic simulations. In addition, motor stalling is usually triggered by a fault event and attributed to the characteristics of the mechanical torque of the motor, resulting in absorption of a large amount of reactive power during the stalling period. Further, this significant withdrawal of reactive power will deteriorate the dynamic voltage stability of power grids and cause delayed voltage recovery. Therefore, an in-depth modeling of the thermodynamics or mechanical torque is essential to study the impacts of the realistic torque characteristics of those behind-the-meter devices on power system voltage stability. This study developed a dynamic multidomain model for building HVAC systems, such as air-source heat pumps, to simulate their thermal and electrical responses to grid transients. The model can accurately predict power metrics with a mean absolute percentage error of 10%, by validating against with power system computer-aided design performance data. Case studies demonstrate the model capability of capturing the transient response to sudden voltage changes, rapid load fluctuations, and system shutdowns respectively. During a sudden voltage drop (30% for 0.1s), a fully loaded heat pump’s motor speed dropped, continued declining, and shut down after 3.6s, with severe power oscillations and a torque spike. A partially loaded unit experienced temporary oscillations but stabilized. Under higher building loads, compressor speed increased from 64% to 100%, with power and torque rising before stabilizing. In safety-triggered shutdowns, power decreased after minor fluctuations, and torque briefly spiked before dropping to zero.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

Deep Factorization Machine Learning for Disaggregation of Transmission Load Profiles with High Penetration of Behind-The-Meter Solar

The ever-growing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), especially behind-the-meter (BTM) solar generations, poses imperative operational challenges to system operators such as regional transmission organizations (RTOs). It is important for RTOs to effectively and accurately extract actual load profiles at the transmission level for a single node with significant BTM solar injection. This paper first illustrates the necessity of disaggregating the daily actual load profile of a single node. Furthermore, by segmenting nodes with selected timeseries features, nodes with significant BTM solar generation are identified. Lastly, a bi-level framework is proposed, comprising reference node disaggregation and DeepFM nodal disaggregation, aimed at disaggregating the nodal load profiles from which system operators require more information. By adopting a hybrid Deep Factorization Machine (DeepFM) model, the model achieve accurate results by extracting both linear and nonlinear relations between nodes in the same region and the zonal load and nodal load profile. To overcome the lack of ground truth, this paper segments the load profile into daytime, nighttime, and zero-crossing points and utilizes the latter two for evaluation purposes. The proposed disaggregation procedure is validated using real world, minute-level, normalized, and anonymized nodal data in the PJM service territory.

42 ENGINEERING

Key Insights: Interconnecting Behind-the-Meter Microgrids

This technical brief explores the interconnection challenges and evolving standards associated with behind-the-meter (BTM), facility-scale microgrids. It clarifies key functions related to customer microgrids and backup systems while addressing critical questions regarding certification coverage, operational impacts, customer relationships, and testing requirements for BTM microgrid systems. The document emphasizes the need for updated standards and additional witness testing to ensure safe and effective microgrid operation as well as improved grid integration and compliance with power quality standards.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

Behind-the-Meter Energy Storage and Generation in Support of Electrified Rental Car Centers

Electrification of rental car centers at major airports is expected to generate tens of MW in additional power loads. The magnitude of these loads poses challenges including high utility costs, expensive and lengthy distribution capacity upgrades, and disruptions to traditional operation. Behind-the-meter stationary battery storage and onsite photovoltaic generation offer a viable solution to these challenges without impacting the operation and business model of rental car companies, defined by minimal fleet inventory and short vehicle dwell time. Using data-driven syn-thetic charging loads for the rental car center at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport in the United States, we show that optimally-designed and controlled behind - the- meter resources can reduce the lifecycle cost of electrified rental centers by an average 41 % and reduce peak grid demand by 64 %, deferring the need for distribution upgrades or potentially avoiding it altogether.

battery storage

Clustering Interval Load with Weather to Create Scenarios of Behind-the-Meter Solar Penetration

Forecasting load at the feeder level has become increasingly challenging with the penetration of behind-the-meter solar, as this self-generation is only visible to the utility as aggregated net-load. This work proposes a methodology for creation of scenarios of solar penetration at the feeder level for use by forecasters to test the robustness of their algorithm to progressively higher penetrations of solar. The algorithm draws on publicly available observations of weather condition (e.g., rainy/cloudy/fair) for use as proxies to sky clearness. These observations are used to mask and weight the interval deviations of similar native usage profiles from which average interval usage is calculated and subsequently added to interval net generation to reconstruct interval total generation. This approach improves the estimate of annual energy generation by 23%; where the net generation signal currently reflects 52% of total annual gener- ation, now 75% is captured. This methodology for creation of forecast testing scenarios is data driven and extensible to service territories which lack information on irradiance measurements and geocoordinates.

solar, load

Bilevel Nodal Behind-the-meter Solar Disaggregation Under Unexpected Extreme Weather Conditions

As the power grid undergoes significant paradigm shift due to the increasing penetration of renewable generation, the ever-growing installation of behind-the-meter (BTM) solar generation in the power grid also has a significant impact on nodal loads, posing challenges on transmission operators. Furthermore, increasing frequent and severe extreme weather events intertwine with ubiquitous BTM solar generations and have amplified the challenges of accurately model nodal load profiles, especially under the lack of ground-truth information for verification. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a bilevel model that utilizes year-long data (e.g., proxy solar, zonal load, and individual node load profiles) to disaggregate metered profiles into actual demand and BTM solar generation at each transmission node. The proxy solar not only scales the BTM solar generation of individual nodes but also create a compensation term for enhancing performance on days with unexpected extreme weather events. The proposed algorithm is validated with real-world PJM Interconnection data during unexpected events like the recent Winter Storm Elliott. For quantitative evaluations, a novel Score error is introduced, which is based on mean percentages and load scales and offers a universal assessment method suitable for all nodes and different data formats (e.g., normalized or raw values).

behind-the-meter solar, load disaggregations, load

Development and Evaluation of a Cost-Effective Behind-the-Meter Synchronized Measurement Unit for Enhanced Grid Integration

This paper presents the development of the Inverter Based Resource Monitor (IBRM), an innovative behind-the-meter synchronized measurement unit (SMU) tailored for integration with inverter-based resources (IBRs). The IBRM distinguishes itself as a highly accurate and cost-effective SMU, offering facile deployment and connectivity to IBRs. It is equipped to conduct real-time voltage and current waveform analyses, serving as a phasor measurement unit (PMU) with exceptionally rapid synchrophasor transmission capabilities. The device incorporates a cutting-edge dual-core architecture designed to minimize sampling delays inherent to its microprocessor, thereby enhancing the precision of synchronized waveform measurements. Moreover, the IBRM is adept at recording high-fidelity waveform data, capturing nuances such as waveform distortions, high-order harmonics, and wide-band oscillations prevalent in power grids with substantial IBR presence. A prototype of the IBRM has been constructed and subjected to rigorous testing to assess its functional capabilities and measurement precision, utilizing both idealized signal generators and a real-world off-grid inverter setup as benchmarks.

Wu, Ori [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000326723410)

Estimating the impact of tariff-driven behind-the-meter storage operation on distribution grid investments

Increasing growth of distributed solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles (EV) can strain local distribution networks and require costly upgrades. Distributed battery storage, often deployed alongside PV, can be used to mitigate those costs, depending on how batteries are operated. This study evaluates the potential deferral value of distributed battery storage across a range of tariff structures, focusing on the rate structures most commonly available to residential customers today and related variants. Deferrals are evaluated with a least-cost distribution grid expansion optimization model to identify requirements on line reconductoring, transformer upgrades, and voltage regulator installations under each tariff. Results show that TOU rates and net billing tariffs can yield meaningful deferral value, depending on specific tariff structure features. Under the best performing tariff structure tested, storage produced a median annualized deferral value of $7.18 per kW of storage capacity ( kW S ) across all feeders in the sample, though deferral values were considerably larger for feeders with peak loads that coincide with utility system peak, i.e., timing of TOU peak period. In contrast, under an unrestricted TOU design with no restrictions on grid charging or discharging, the median deferral value was $0/ kW S illustrating the critical importance of tariff structure details.

Rodriguez-Garcia, Luis

Risk-informed Hierarchical Control of Behind-the-Meter DERs with AMI Data Integration (Final Technical Report)

This project addresses several key barriers to implement the next generation demand response applications and provides a clear understanding of implementing hierarchical and standalone control using AMI data. Through this program, Eaton has developed and tested a meter-as-a-controller prototype with the help of other partners--- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Pecan St Inc. (PSI), and Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC). The controller can utilize residential controllable loads such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioner (HVAC), electric water heater and distributed energy resources like solar PV and battery energy storage systems for off-setting the demand that is required from the grid, thus providing reliable grid-services for demand reduction or peak shaving. The controller is also capable of coordinating the resources of the premises for better management and energy efficiency while meeting the comfort bound of the premises owner as quality-of-service. The development has been demonstrated in a three virtual-home setup at system performance lab of NREL with real appliances (HVAC, electric water heater, solar PV, and battery). The technology has also been proved through laboratory and field demonstration with successful interconnectivity (e.g., end-to-end communication and data exchange) between the residential appliances and utility through the RF network at Delaware Electric Co-op (DEC) in Delaware.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI

Day-Ahead Probabilistic Forecasting of Net-Load and Demand Response Potentials with High Penetration of Behind-the-Meter Solar-plus-Storage

The goal of this project is to develop advanced methods for day-ahead net-load forecasting, by leveraging the state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. The developed models produce both point and probabilistic forecasts for a variety of use cases, and are versatile to work with different types of data sets. The innovation lies in the novel design of the architectures, leveraging the most recent advances in machine learning that have not been explored in power systems, accompanied by techniques in the broader artificial intelligence fields such as fuzzy systems. This project has achieved the following accomplishments: (1) preprocessing of over 10 data sets covering varying geographical regions, time horizons, and system levels, which form a robust foundation for training and evaluating forecasting models across a wide range of realistic grid scenarios; (2) development of an interactive web app that enables exploratory analysis of load and generation data, and supports better understanding of data trends, anomalies, and correlations, facilitating model development and stakeholder engagement; (3) implementation of over 10 benchmark models for point and probabilistic forecasting, which include a mix of conventional machine learning methods and state-of-the-art deep learning approaches, providing a comprehensive baseline for performance comparison and validation of the proposed models; (4) development of a fuzzy system based gradient boosting model, tailored for small (less than 3 years) data sets, which achieves a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 4% for point forecasting and a 20% improvement in average pinball loss for probabilistic forecasting; (5) development of a Transformer (a state-of-the-art deep learning architecture) based neural network model, tailored for large (3 years or more) data sets, which achieves a MAPE of 2% for point forecasting and a 20% improvement in average pinball loss for probabilistic forecasting; (6) development of a methodology for quantifying DR potential, and extensions of the previous models for multi-target forecasting of net load and DR potential, which achieve a MAPE of 10% for DR potential.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

Technoeconomic Prefeasibility Analysis of Behind-the-Meter Energy Resources for Punta Gorda, FL

The Energy to Communities (E2C) program is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded technical assistance program designed to provide technical support to communities transitioning to clean energy and more sustainable energy economies. One offering under E2C is the "Expert Match" technical assistance program, through which DOE national laboratories and other partners provide 40–60 hours of technical support on a topic where expert assistance is critical to the community making an informed clean energy decision.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY

Behind-the-Meter Model Results

These files contains aggregations of key variables from the NREL Distributed Wind Futures Study using full parcel level data. These variables describe total technical and economic potential for distributed wind turbine deployment. Aggregations are available at the (1) county, (2) zipcode (zip code tabulation area or zcta), and (3) US Census block group level. Each scenario is coded with the scenario name (e.g., baseline) and year (e.g., 2022). Those files postfixed with 'econpot' contain results for only those parcels that are economically viable while the files postfixed with 'techpot' include results for all parcels that are technically feasible. Hence these correspond to technoeconomic and technical potential respectively. The data are available as CSV or Geopackage. Columns in the files are as follows: * geoid: geographic identifier (FIPS code or similar) * min_techpot_sum_kw: technical potential for all parcels in kW using turbines downsized to demand when appropriate * max_techpot_sum_kw: technical potential for all parcels in kW without downsizing turbines * aep_sum_kwh: annual energy production estimate in kWh * cf_mean_ratio: mean capacity factor * lcoe_mean_cents_per_kwh: mean levelized cost of energy for parcels in geography in cents per kWh * lcoe_std_cents_per_kwh: standard deviation of the above * parcel_area_sum_acres: total area of viable parcels in acres * n_turbines: number of cited turbines (one per viable parcel currently)

17 WIND ENERGY

Factors influencing recent trends in retail electricity prices in the United States

This study analyzes the primary drivers of recent state-level trends in U.S. retail electricity prices. We summarize pricing trends, explore descriptive relationships, and employ regression models to quantify the influence of various factors. Although the recent national rise in retail prices has largely tracked inflation, state-level trends vary widely. We identify a number of factors that explain trends in subsets of states. States with the greatest price increases typically exhibited shrinking customer loads—partially linked to growth in net metered behind-the-meter solar—and had renewables portfolio standards (RPS) in concert with relatively costly incremental renewable energy supplies. By contrast, recent utility-scale wind and solar deployment that occurred outside RPS programs (but that benefited from tax incentives) had no discernible impact on increased retail prices. Hurricanes, storms and wildfires also contributed to sizable price increases in some states, most notably in California, where wildfire risk mitigation and liability insurance were major cost drivers. Fluctuations in natural gas prices—particularly following the onset of the Ukraine-Russia war—further contributed to sharp price increases through 2022–2023 in many states, with moderation in 2024. The relative influence of these factors varies across states and over time, and relationships may change in the future. Nonetheless, the findings underscore the diverse set of price determinants and highlight the need for continued research to inform effective policy and ensure customer affordability.

Customer load