A new integrated planning methodology addresses a critical infrastructure challenge: ensuring continuous power to essential loads when the main grid fails. Researchers have developed a framework that jointly optimizes power system planning with transportation logistics, enabling realistic assessment of mobile energy storage systems (ESSs) versus traditional stationary alternatives.
The approach couples electrical network models with battery transport logistics, extending conventional lifecycle costing to account for both grid infrastructure and the operational costs of battery mobility. This dual-domain modeling captures realistic constraints including seasonal resource variability, deployment delays, setup times, and battery-inverter performance limits.
A case study in northwestern Iran evaluated mobile photovoltaic-supported storage systems against stationary configurations for sustaining 50–100 kW critical loads during outages. The analysis compared four operational scenarios across multiple time horizons, with solar generation projections extending to 2050 under increasing renewable penetration.
Key findings reveal complementary strengths: mobile systems excel at rapid, relocatable resilience for emergency response, enabling quick repositioning to diverse critical facilities. Stationary assets deliver superior scalability and planned robustness over extended planning horizons, supporting grid-wide stability as renewable capacity grows.
The framework incorporates practical operational complexities often overlooked in theoretical models—transportation times, battery state-of-charge constraints, and inverter efficiency curves. Results quantify the cost-benefit tradeoffs: while mobile systems incur logistics expenses, they eliminate large fixed installations at multiple sites. Stationary systems, conversely, reduce operational complexity but require greater upfront capital deployment.
This research advances the strategic discussion beyond either-or choices. A hybrid portfolio combining mobile systems for crisis response and strategic redundancy, paired with stationary assets for sustained grid support, emerges as the most economical and resilient configuration. As grids transition toward high renewable penetration, such integrated planning methodologies become essential for maintaining supply security while optimizing capital efficiency and operational flexibility.
