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High-Level BESS Use Cases (Derived from ISGF ESS Roadmap for India 2019–2032)

Reference document: ISGF Report on Energy Storage System (ESS) Roadmap for India (2019–2032)

This document provides a high-level use case set derived from the ISGF roadmap sections used to define the High-Level Requirements (HLRs).

1) Use Case Catalog and HLR Coverage

Use Case ID Use case name What it achieves (one-liner) Primary HLR coverage
UC-01 System Peak Shaving Discharge during system peak periods; charge off-peak HLR-01
UC-02 Time Shifting / Energy Arbitrage Shift energy from low-cost to high-cost periods HLR-05
UC-03 T&D Upgrade Deferral (Feeder/DT level) Reduce feeder/DT peak loading and defer upgrades HLR-04, HLR-24
UC-04 Active Power Ancillary Support (Load Following) Provide controllable active power flexibility to grid HLR-02
UC-05 Reactive Power / Voltage Support Service Provide Volt-VAR / voltage regulation at PCC/MV/LV HLR-02, HLR-06, HLR-08
UC-06 Black Start Support Re-energize a dead bus / support restoration sequence HLR-02
UC-07 RTPV Voltage Rise & Reverse Power Flow Mitigation Absorb surplus PV and limit reverse flow / overvoltage HLR-06, HLR-07, HLR-24
UC-08 Undervoltage Relief at High DT Loading Inject power / manage voltage under heavy loading HLR-07
UC-09 Power Quality & Harmonics Mitigation Reduce THD/flicker impacts and prevent PQ degradation HLR-10, HLR-11
UC-10 Smart Inverter/SCADA Controlled Operation Enable monitoring, remote updates, fast messaging, advanced functions HLR-14…HLR-18
UC-11 Hosting Capacity Enablement & Interconnection Compliance Increase VRE hosting while respecting thermal/protection/islanding constraints HLR-12, HLR-13
UC-12 Optimal Sizing & Techno-Commercial Evaluation (ESIT) Determine optimal kW/kWh and evaluate benefits with imperfect data HLR-19…HLR-22
UC-13 Multiple Use-Case Dispatch / Value Stacking Deliver stacked services (peak shave + T&D deferral + time shift, etc.) HLR-05, HLR-24
UC-14 Operational KPI, Settlement & Evidence Reporting Produce telemetry, PQ indices, event logs, monetizable/non-monetizable evidence HLR-21, HLR-23
UC-15 Lifecycle Tracking & Replacement Planning Track cycles/throughput/SoC distribution for battery life planning HLR-23

2) Detailed High-Level Use Cases

Each use case is intentionally high level (the level you define before writing requirements).

UC-01 — System Peak Shaving

Objective: Reduce utility/system peak demand by discharging storage during peak hours and charging off-peak.
Primary actors: Utility/SLDC/DERMS, BESS operator, Plant Controller/EMS.
Trigger: Approaching peak window (forecasted or scheduled).
Preconditions: BESS available; SoC sufficient; export/import caps known.
Main flow (high level): 1) EMS produces discharge schedule for peak window.
2) Plant Controller enforces PCC limits and ramps; dispatches PCS active power.
3) Post-peak, EMS schedules recharge off-peak to restore SoC.
Postconditions: Reduced peak demand; SoC returns toward target.
HLR supported: HLR-01.

UC-02 — Time Shifting / Energy Arbitrage

Objective: Shift energy to reduce procurement cost (or exploit tariff differentials).
Trigger: Tariff/price differential opportunity or procurement optimization.
Main flow: 1) EMS identifies arbitrage windows and creates charge/discharge schedule.
2) Plant Controller executes schedule within operational constraints.
3) Historian logs energy moved for reporting.
HLR supported: HLR-05.

UC-03 — T&D Upgrade Deferral (Feeder/DT level)

Objective: Defer feeder/DT upgrades by reducing overload hours via local peak shaving and absorbing reverse power flow.
Trigger: Feeder/DT loading approaches thermal/operational limit.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller monitors feeder/DT loading condition (or receives constraint).
2) BESS discharges during local peak to reduce loading; charges to absorb reverse flow if present.
3) EMS adjusts longer-horizon schedule to restore SoC and maintain reserves.
Postconditions: Feeder/DT stays under limit; upgrade is deferred (benefit quantified).
HLR supported: HLR-04, HLR-24.

UC-04 — Active Power Ancillary Support (Load Following)

Objective: Provide controllable active power flexibility to support grid balancing (beyond scheduled dispatch).
Trigger: Operator request for ancillary service or AGC/load-following requirement.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller receives active power support request/enablement.
2) PCS follows real-time active power setpoints within limits; Plant Controller enforces SoC reserve policy.
3) EMS later true-ups SoC against schedule deviations.
HLR supported: HLR-02.

UC-05 — Reactive Power / Voltage Support Service

Objective: Provide voltage support using reactive power (and/or Volt-Watt) at PCC / MV / LV.
Trigger: Voltage deviation trend or explicit voltage support mode request.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller enables voltage support profile and sets priorities (e.g., voltage support overrides arbitrage).
2) PCS injects/absorbs Q (and optionally adjusts P) to regulate voltage.
3) PQ metering validates compliance; events are logged.
HLR supported: HLR-02, HLR-06, HLR-08.

UC-06 — Black Start Support

Objective: Support restoration by energizing a dead bus / enabling controlled re-energization (where permitted).
Trigger: Grid outage; restoration directive from operator/utility.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller executes restoration sequence (permissives, checks, staged energization).
2) PCS operates in required mode (grid-following or grid-forming if available).
3) Protection/sync logic ensures safe reconnection when grid returns.
HLR supported: HLR-02.

UC-07 — RTPV Voltage Rise & Reverse Power Flow Mitigation

Objective: Manage high rooftop PV penetration impacts—overvoltage and reverse power flow—by absorbing surplus energy and/or regulating voltage.
Trigger: High irradiance + low local load causes voltage rise and reverse flow risk.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller detects/receives voltage rise condition and reverse flow risk.
2) BESS charges (absorbs PV surplus) to reduce reverse flow; applies Volt-VAR/Volt-Watt as needed.
3) If SoC saturates, Plant Controller applies alternative mitigation (reactive support / curtailment coordination).
HLR supported: HLR-06, HLR-07, HLR-24.

UC-08 — Undervoltage Relief at High DT Loading

Objective: Improve voltage profile during high DT loading (especially where PV does not fully relieve undervoltage).
Trigger: Under-voltage condition on LV network during heavy load.
Main flow: 1) Plant Controller enters undervoltage support mode.
2) BESS discharges (and/or provides Q support) to restore voltage profile.
3) System returns to scheduled mode once stable.
HLR supported: HLR-07.

UC-09 — Power Quality & Harmonics Mitigation

Objective: Prevent degraded PQ due to inverter harmonics, flicker, and transients; mitigate where necessary.
Trigger: THD/flicker/event thresholds exceeded or trending.
Main flow: 1) PQ monitoring detects harmonic distortion/flicker/sags/swells; alarm/event created.
2) Plant Controller switches PCS to PQ mitigation profile (or enables APF/STATCOM capability).
3) System records evidence and validates improvement.
HLR supported: HLR-10, HLR-11.

UC-10 — Smart Inverter/SCADA Controlled Operation

Objective: Enable digital monitoring/control, remote diagnostics, parameter upgrades, fast messaging, and advanced grid functions.
Trigger: Normal operations; maintenance; firmware updates; control mode changes.
Main flow: 1) System continuously publishes granular telemetry and status.
2) Operators change modes/parameters using controlled, auditable workflows.
3) Remote diagnostics identify issues; maintenance actions are planned.
HLR supported: HLR-14, HLR-15, HLR-16, HLR-17, HLR-18.

UC-11 — Hosting Capacity Enablement & Interconnection Compliance

Objective: Increase VRE hosting capacity on feeders while respecting protection, islanding, thermal, fault level, and PQ constraints.
Trigger: Planning for higher RTPV/VRE penetration or interconnection request.
Main flow: 1) Planning/engineering defines hosting constraints and protection requirements.
2) BESS is configured to provide voltage regulation, smoothing, and congestion relief as needed.
3) Protection/operational compliance is validated through monitoring and event records.
HLR supported: HLR-12, HLR-13.

UC-12 — Optimal Sizing & Techno-Commercial Evaluation (ESIT)

Objective: Determine optimal kW/kWh sizing and evaluate techno-commercial feasibility at feeder/DT/consumer levels, including imperfect data.
Trigger: Project planning / procurement / policy analysis.
Main flow: 1) Ingest available load/PV/network data (even if incomplete).
2) Evaluate candidate BESS sizes and operating strategies across locations (feeder/DT/consumer).
3) Produce monetizable/non-monetizable benefit outputs and recommended configuration.
HLR supported: HLR-19, HLR-20, HLR-21, HLR-22.

UC-13 — Multiple Use-Case Dispatch / Value Stacking

Objective: Stack services (peak shave + T&D deferral + time shifting + voltage support) under a priority policy.
Trigger: Overlapping service opportunities/constraints within same day.
Main flow: 1) EMS proposes schedule maximizing total benefit.
2) Plant Controller arbitrates in real time based on grid conditions and SoC reserves.
3) System logs service delivery by category for benefit attribution.
HLR supported: HLR-05, HLR-24.

UC-14 — Operational KPI, Settlement & Evidence Reporting

Objective: Provide trustworthy evidence of services delivered (energy, PQ improvements, events) and quantify monetizable/non-monetizable benefits.
Trigger: Billing cycle, performance review, dispute resolution, compliance audit.
Main flow: 1) Historian aggregates metering, PQ indices, and event logs.
2) Reports are generated for peak shaving, T&D deferral actions, PQ mitigation outcomes, and any ancillary service participation.
HLR supported: HLR-21, HLR-23.

UC-15 — Lifecycle Tracking & Replacement Planning

Objective: Track cycles, throughput, SoC distribution, and derates to support replacement planning and lifecycle cost modeling.
Trigger: Periodic asset health review; warranty thresholds; performance degradation detected.
Main flow: 1) BMS/analytics compute cycle and throughput counters and SoH trends.
2) EMS/asset manager adjusts operating policy (reserve, depth of discharge, throughput caps).
3) Replacement forecast is produced.
HLR supported: HLR-23.

3) Quick Check: Every HLR Is Supported

  • HLR-01: UC-01
  • HLR-02 / HLR-03: UC-04 / UC-05 / UC-06
  • HLR-04: UC-03
  • HLR-05: UC-02 / UC-13
  • HLR-06 / HLR-07 / HLR-08 / HLR-09: UC-05 / UC-07 / UC-08
  • HLR-10 / HLR-11: UC-09
  • HLR-12 / HLR-13: UC-11
  • HLR-14…18: UC-10
  • HLR-19…22: UC-12
  • HLR-23: UC-14 / UC-15
  • HLR-24: UC-03 / UC-07 / UC-13