Intraday Dispatch Strategies of Battery Energy Storage Systems to Smooth the Duck Curve: A Real-Life Brazilian Case

Abstract

The growing penetration of centralized and distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has introduced significant operational challenges in power systems, most notably the “duck curve” phenomenon, which is characterized by steep net load ramp-up at dusk. This issue has become increasingly evident worldwide, including in Brazil, where solar PV capacity is expanding rapidly. In this context, this paper proposes optimization-based strategies for dispatching Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to smooth the duck curve, using real data from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Three distinct optimization objectives are investigated: load derivative compensation, variable generation compensation, and average load tracking. Energetic and electric analyses were performed using the real data. For the evaluated Minas Gerais case study, both analyses indicate that the BESS operation based on load derivative compensation provides the most effective reduction in load ramps among the three strategies investigated.