Grid-flexible integration of distributed solar and storage under environmental performance constraints: Insights from Jiangsu Province

Grid-flexible integration of distributed solar power and energy storage is essential for power systems facing rapid growth of rooftop generation, stringent environmental performance requirements and increasing demand electrification. This article develops and applies a planning framework for distributed solar power and storage portfolios in Jiangsu Province in eastern China that explicitly incorporates grid flexibility and environmental constraints. The framework combines hourly feeder-level simulations with multi-objective optimisation to explore trade-offs between reduced curtailment of solar generation, lower system operating costs, mitigation of local air pollution and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Scenario results show that coordinated scheduling of distributed storage with the grid can reduce annual curtailment of solar electricity by more than one third and decrease peak transformer loading while maintaining high reliability for end users. At the same time, the optimised portfolios reduce the emission intensity of supplied electricity and support practical compliance with regional air-quality and climate-policy targets.