Storage, Operation, and Valuation Tools with bSTORE
The bSTORE modeling suite is a storage simulation and decision-support platform used to assess the value of storage projects. bSTORE provides insights into a different aspect of storage value that can be utilized separately or in conjunction with one another. The tool provides a number of advantages that make it uniquely suited for assessing the multiple value streams of storage.
Optimal Bidding and Dispatch Module:
- Optimal bidding and scheduling strategies under real-world market conditions
- Maximize wholesale market value of storage assets through co-optimization of day-ahead energy, ancillary services, and real-time energy markets under uncertainty
- Co-optimized wholesale market value, distribution system value, and customer retail rate savings
- Optimized bidding and scheduling of “renewable generation+storage” assets
Market Impact Module:
- Region-wide, zonal, and nodal impacts of large-scale storage deployment
- Local market impacts of alternative deployment strategies of large existing storage resources, including pumped hydro
- Impact of storage deployment on market-based generation retirement and new generation investment decisions
- Total market potential for storage, accounting for “feedback effects” associated with impacts of storage adoption on markets and system marginal costs
Capacity Expansion Module:
- Resource adequacy and flexibility value of storage
- Value of storage in organized capacity and clean-energy markets
- Integrated resource planning (capacity expansion with storage as a resource option)
- Simulation of long-term system investment and retirement decisions with storage as an economically-viable resource
Transmission & Distribution Module:
- Avoided or deferred transmission investment costs
- Avoided or deferred distribution investment costs
- Value of targeting underperforming distribution feeders
Customer Retail Cost Module:
- Customer rate impacts of utility-owned or utility-contracted distribution and transmission level storage
- Customer retail bill savings of behind-the-meter (BTM) storage
- Impact of demand and energy rate design on storage economics
- Identification of customer segments most likely to benefit from BTM storage adoption
- Storage market potential based on customer investment payback
- Utility rates and net earnings impacts if bill reductions of BTM storage exceed utility avoided costs
Customer Reliability Benefits Module:
- Value of customer outage reduction through distributed storage
- Customer-class-specific benefits
- Feeders-specific distribution system benefits (front-of-meter or BTM storage combined with smart distribution network management)