Energy storage enables companies to meet their electricity demand more easily when supply exceeds demand, helping reduce sudden price surges and inconsistent power from the grid. Thermal and battery technologies offer various forms of storage solutions suitable for local, home or utility scale deployment.

National Grid engineers and those responsible for electricity grids worldwide must frequently balance supply with demand by managing energy production peaks and troughs, using fossil fuel-fired plants where possible to meet this task. Battery energy storage could “firm up” renewables by storing and dispensing them when required and helping increase reliability on an aging grid impacted by climate change.

Home battery energy storage (BESS) systems can help people avoid sudden spikes in electricity prices during times of high demand, as well as supporting renewable integration both within their households and at community-wide microgrids or resilience hubs.

BESS technology comes in various forms, with lithium-ion batteries being the most common today. When combined with software that knows when and how to charge and discharge them for optimal value creation – such as lowering energy costs during times of high demand or using stored energy during low solar production periods – lithium batteries become highly effective BESS solutions.

Flywheels and mechanical systems take advantage of inertia to produce electricity when necessary, but require significant amounts of energy to get moving initially. Once spun up though, they provide electricity when necessary.