As the electric grid faces rapid load growth driven by the emergence of large loads such as data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, and electrolyzers, alongside increasing operational uncertainty and aging infrastructure, the need for resources that can respond quickly and provide flexibility across multiple grid timescales is becoming increasingly urgent. Energy storage is uniquely positioned to provide this flexibility, supporting reliability, resilience, capacity needs, and more efficient utilization of existing grid infrastructure. Yet determining where storage should be deployed, how it should be sized, and which services it should provide requires careful consideration of both technology characteristics and powersystem needs. This seminar will examine energy storage from the interconnected perspectives of technology, grid applications, analytics, and long-term system planning. The discussion will span major grid-scale storage technologies and the characteristics that determine their suitability for various grid-scale applications. A major focus of this seminar will be analytical and optimization tools which can translate these technical capabilities into actionable planning
insights.
Against this backdrop, the seminar will highlight the QuESt platform, an open-source suite of tools for energy storage analytics and decision support developed by Sandia National Laboratories, with a deeper focus on its grid planning capabilities. Using QuESt as a framework, the talk will explore how storage can be represented, valued, and optimized within power-system planning studies, including questions of siting, sizing, operational strategy, and system-level impacts. The seminar will also discuss key modeling considerations and emerging research opportunities as storage becomes increasingly important in planning a grid characterized by rapid demand growth, evolving load profiles, and greater need for operational flexibility.
Bio: Atri Bera is a Senior Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has worked since 2021. He received his B. Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Durgapur, India, in 2015, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University in 2021. He has expertise in power system planning, operations, and economics, with a special focus on energy storage systems. His research entails developing advanced mathematical models, optimization frameworks, and open-source computational tools for the planning and operation of power systems and energy storage analytics.
Zoom Meeting ID: 947 5910 1222
Passcode: eceseminar