Abstract
Objective signs are everywhere that the stationary energy storage market is growing up quickly. The use of distributed resources such as solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles are expanding at a rapid pace, creating technical challenges for the distribution system that will require energy storage and a new generation of software to address. This paper is intended for distribution utility managers and executives and makes the following points: ${\bullet}$ Utility-integrated (as opposed to merely grid-connected) energy storage projects represent a distinct, new wave of industry growth that is just getting underway and is required to manage distributed energy resources moving forward. ${\bullet}$ Utilities and the energy storage industry have important roles to lower risk in adopting this technology - thereby enabling this wave of growth. ${\circ}$ The industry must focus on engineering energy storage for adoption at scale - including the creation and support of software open standards -both to drive down costs and to limit technology and supplier risk for utilities. ${\circ}$ Utilities need to take a program-based, rather than a project- based, approach to this resource to best balance cost and risk as they procure and implement energy storage. By working together to drive down costs and manage risk, utilities and their suppliers can lay the energy storage foundation for a new, more digital distributed electricity system.