A review on wind power smoothing using high-power energy storage systems

Wind energy has been widely explored in recent decades and the integration of this renewable resource is increasing due to many factors, e.g., the need to mitigate climate change and reduce energy dependence on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the stochastic characteristic of wind may have an impact on the reliability and power quality of electrical grids due to short-term power fluctuations. For wind power smoothing purposes, many researchers have been using energy storage systems (ESSs) as they perform extremely well, and are becoming less costly. In this context, this article presents a comprehensive review of the significant research conducted on the topic of wind power smoothing using high-power ESSs. Firstly, some energy storage technologies are discussed and compared, and a brief description of the main short-term applications of these technologies is provided. Afterwards, a literature review on wind power smoothing is conducted, showing evidence of the development of methods over the years. A bibliometric analysis is also presented, showing an increasing number of publications on this subject. Finally, this review indicates that more research is still needed to overcome wind power fluctuation issues and that further attention to topics such as hybrid ESSs and smoothing impacts on electrical grids should arise over the next years.