A novel and cost-effective model for cloud energy storage based on a dual storage setup in active distribution grid with resilience consideration

The rising occurrences of natural disasters, terrorist actions, and cyber-attacks that result in extensive, longlasting, and expensive disruptions have necessitated a shift in focus towards the resilience of electrical grids for network operators. However, the task of designing a resilient network remains complex and costly. One potential solution to bolster resilience is the deployment of battery energy storage devices on the consumer side, known as distributed energy systems (DES). Despite its effectiveness, the high construction costs and lengthy payback period associated with investing in energy storage devices have led consumers to exhibit reluctance in adopting them. Cloud energy storage (CES) is an innovative and cost-effective solution to address those challenges. In the CES platform, investors install storage facilities in the network which can be rented by consumers to fulfill their needs and they become holders of the virtual batteries. By adopting this approach, consumers are relieved from the burden of maintenance, repair, and installation. While a single CES facility offers reduced costs and increased comfort for consumers, it compromises the resilience of the grid when compared to the Distributed Energy Storage (DES) mechanism. In order to bridge this gap, this paper proposes a dual CES model which serves as an intermediate solution between DES and single CES. The dual CES model strikes a balance between the resilience of the grid and cost-effectiveness. It provides a higher level of resilience compared to a single CES and a lower level compared to DES. Additionally, the costs associated with the dual CES model fall between that of a single CES and DES. This model not only increases the profit margin for investors but also enhances the overall comfort and well-being of consumers compared to the single CES. To validate the proposed model, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem is formulated and simulated on the IEEE 33 bus network. Three cases are considered: DES, single CES, and dual CES. The results indicate that the dual CES reduces consumers' costs by 28 %, losses by 27 %, unsupplied load costs by 45 %, and return on investment by 33 %. Moreover, it increases the stability margin time by 2 intervals and improves robustness by 47 %.