Distributed generators (DGs) employing a combined fuel cell microturbine (FC-MT) system and a battery energy storage system (BESS) are an efficient and dynamic solution to address the challenges of the ongoing energy transition (e.g., electrification of the residential and the transportation sector). This type of DG can fully utilize the infrastructure of both the electrical and the gas network whilst meeting increased demand for low-carbon electricity and heat. Furthermore, the DG can act as a load (storing energy in the BESS) or source (providing energy from the BESS or FC-MT) and thus increasing the degrees of freedom. However, the network integration of such a DG has not been studied in terms of the technical and financial viability of the technology, as required to be a competitive solution as part of the energy transition. This study presents a network integration for FC-MT BESS DGs, which captures key operational constraints of the technology and considers siting and sizing for different business cases (e.g., energy community with dual pricing scheme and a common meter). The business cases show very different benefits. It is thus concluded that both technical and economic considerations will be important in understanding the potential for this type of FC-MT BESS DG to support the decarbonization and energy transition.

The network integration study is performed using real low-voltage distribution network from the North-West of the United Kingdom and publicly available price and load data. Different types of networks (e.g., rural or urban) are considered in the network integration study.