Energy Storage in Remote Arctic Communities: Driving Down Diesel Consumption with Batteries

Remote off-grid communities across northern Canada and Alaska are traditionally powered by diesel generators. Fuel delivery, often by ice roads, can be difficult and expensive. Wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays can be deployed to offset the need for diesel generation, but they can destabilize the system at anything more than modest penetration levels. Using energy storage can help renewables achieve much higher levels of penetration to maximize fuel savings. This article describes the control strategies for such systems and the particular challenges of Arctic installations. Recent projects in Colville Lake, in Canada's Northwest Territories, and Kotzebue, Alaska, are outlined.