Future-proofing energy infrastructure resilience with distributed energy resources

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, increasing stress on power infrastructure through more frequent outages, higher maintenance costs, and elevated safety risks. Simultaneously, continued dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity generation contributes to emissions that further accelerate climate impacts. This study assesses the economic, environmental, and resilience benefits of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), focusing on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS). Two deployment strategies are evaluated: a targeted approach for outage-prone areas and a wide-scale community adoption model. Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) was used to simulate scenarios based on power demand, daylight, battery capacity, and PV size. Results show that 40%–60% DER adoption yields the highest net benefits, reducing outage durations and emissions. A 7–10 kW PV system with a 20–40 kWh battery typically ensures 24 hours of backup power. The findings underscore the value of strategic DER planning for a resilient, low-carbon energy future. • Developed cost-benefit models showing savings, CO 2 cuts, and resilience gains. • Quantified emissions reductions from solar PV and battery storage integration. • Identified optimal DER setups enhancing grid resilience and reducing outages. • Used Latin Hypercube Sampling to simulate diverse DER deployment scenarios. • Found 40–60% DER adoption offers best financial, environmental, and resilience outcomes.