Cities trying to add large power plants or battery storage facilities face a problem beyond grid capacity: finding a site that fits the surrounding community.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an algorithm that helps utilities and planners identify locations for power generation and storage in urban areas.

Unlike conventional site-selection methods that mainly assess technical factors, the new approach also considers zoning rules, historical sites, architectural value, local economic priorities, and community preferences.

The tool combines these factors with a power-grid simulator to determine where an energy project could be placed and how large it should be. It can also account for changing energy policies and local priorities.

Urban regulations can significantly reduce the number of locations available for large energy projects. Zoning and noise restrictions alone can eliminate 20 to 30 percent of potential sites, according to researcher Rodney Itiki.

The algorithm is designed to prevent planners from choosing a technically suitable location that may be unacceptable to the people living or working nearby.

“The tool is revolutionary because previous study approaches were not considering the real world,” Itiki said. “They just started with a diagram of the energy system and picked a location based on that infrastructure, without incorporating the needs of the community.”

The system uses a weighting method to account for factors such as energy policy, local regulations, and input from grid planners, urban planners, and other stakeholders.

Source: Energies

Image: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy