Optimal Placement of Battery Energy Storage Systems in Transmission Networks for Sustainable Renewable Integration: A Multi-Index Scenario-Based Approach

Abstract

The large-scale integration of variable renewable energy sources (RES) such as solar and wind into transmission networks poses significant challenges to grid stability, operational efficiency, and economic dispatch. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer a flexible solution, but their optimal placement remains critical to maximizing technical and economic benefits. This paper presents a multi-index, scenario-based framework for optimal BESS siting in a modified IEEE 118-bus transmission system under high renewable penetration. Six complementary indices are employed: Voltage Deviation Index (VDI), Fast Voltage Stability Index (FVSI), Line Congestion Index (LCI), Bus Congestion Index (BCI), Z-bus Sensitivity Index (ZBSI), and nodal price difference (Δλ). Eight extreme scenarios, combining high/low solar, wind, and hydro generation under peak load, are used to identify vulnerable buses. Five weighting case studies reflect different stakeholder priorities: voltage stability, congestion relief, energy arbitrage, loss reduction, and equal weightage. Results show that the congestion relief case achieves the lowest daily operating cost (approx. $8000 less than the base case) and the highest net economic benefit, while the loss reduction case delivers the greatest reduction in active (34 MW) and reactive (169 MVAr) power losses, compared to the base case. The proposed framework demonstrates that integrating technical and market-based indicators enables more robust and economically attractive BESS placement. This work provides a practical, data-driven planning tool for grid operators and investors aiming to enhance transmission system sustainability under high-RES variability.