Energy storage is a fundamental element of renewable energy systems. From rechargeable batteries that power our mobile phones to hydroelectric dams that store fossil fuels as water, energy storage can take many forms.
Energy storage offers many advantages to the grid. It can help regulate supply and demand on an hour-by-hour basis while improving power quality.
It can help integrate more renewable energy
Energy Storage is a crucial tool in supporting renewable expansion and reaching net-zero goals. It provides multiple services, including responding to sudden increases or drops in electricity demand, frequency regulation services and deferring transmission upgrades. Energy storage devices can be found across grid segments including transmission/distribution networks or even co-located with wind/solar power plants.
Battery storage technology can also help bridge the intermittent resource gaps created by wind and solar, charging during periods of excess production and discharging during times of higher demand, prolonging their time on our grid thereby decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar can provide back-up power for homes and businesses during extreme weather events that cause brownouts or blackouts, preventing costly service interruptions that result in brownouts or blackouts. Furthermore, its deployment can enable remote communities that lack access to reliable renewable energy with access to cost-effective clean energy sources.
It can help smooth out demand
Energy storage helps balance supply and demand on electric power grids, serving as backup power for homes, businesses, and communities during extreme weather events. Energy storage allows swift response times when supply or demand changes arise and regulates voltage/frequency regulation without incurring infrastructure upgrades that would otherwise alleviate congestion issues.
Energy storage provides us with an effective way to integrate renewable energy sources like solar and wind by shifting their variable generation towards peak demand periods, typically the hot afternoons and evenings of summer when temperatures are at their peak and people start using power to cool their homes and power appliances.
There is an extensive array of Energy Storage Solutions (ESS), which store electrical energy in various ways. These include batteries, pumped hydro, compressed air energy storage (CAES), thermal energy storage (storing heat or cold in inexpensive media such as rocks, liquid salt or inexpensive elements), thermal thermal energy storage and thermal thermal energy storage systems (CTES). Furthermore, participating in utility demand-side management programs allows ESS technologies to help lower end user demand charges while at the same time reduce end user demand and associated demand charges.
It can help replace dirty peaker plants
Replacing peaker plants with clean energy solutions represents one of the greatest environmental justice opportunities in the U.S. Currently, over 1,000 natural gas- and oil-fired peaker plants operate to meet infrequent surges in electricity demand; these fossil fuel plants produce more air pollutants and carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour than baseload power plants, and are frequently located within ecologically vulnerable communities.
Energy storage offers an opportunity to replace expensive peaker plants with clean and less-costly alternatives; however, there are several key challenges to be met before this becomes reality. One such challenge is matching the rated capacity of a BESS to that of its peaker plant counterpart; to do this successfully requires developing an in-depth technoeconomic model incorporating private costs as well as hourly electricity pricing data for the location in question and load event history data.
Battery storage not only can act as an excellent alternative to dirty peaker plants, but can also offer grid ancillary services and improve power quality. These services include balancing electricity supply and demand on a second-by-second basis, keeping the grid frequency constant, and responding quickly to sudden spikes, surges or sags in power output.
It can help reduce air pollution
Energy storage is an integral component of a modernized electric grid. It allows it to operate more efficiently by balancing supply and demand, lowering electricity costs, avoiding brownouts and blackouts and helping avoid peak pricing (price spikes) during times of high demand; expanding clean resources like renewable energy by decreasing fossil fuel power plant reliance; providing backup power; supporting community resilience in urban settings and more.
Energy Storage can be particularly useful for rural communities, islands and microgrids that may be cut off from the larger power grid. When combined with renewables, energy storage helps accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy faster, decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change while improving economics of renewable energy for low-income communities and furthering environmental justice goals. It can also enable a smarter, more resilient, more cost-effective electricity system able to better meet local population needs.