Widespread future use of variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are dependent on the development of effective, affordable means to store excess energy. The type of energy storage ultimately deployed depends on the primary energy source(s) used, location, as well as cost and other f Contact online >>
Widespread future use of variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are dependent on the development of effective, affordable means to store excess energy. The type of energy storage ultimately deployed depends on the primary energy source(s) used, location, as well as cost and other factors, and therefore can vary.
[Pumped hydro has historically been the most prevalent form of energy storage globally, and is still the most used energy storage technology in the world today. Li-ion batteries are, by far, the fastest-growing source of energy storage.]
The following are some of the most promising emerging technologies for energy storage in the future (energy storage technologies with some limited commercial availability today):
Pumped hydrois often the most cost-effective and readily available means of storage for large-scale energy storage projects (depending on the topography of the location in question).Pumped hydrostorage (PHS) remains the most frequently used meansfor storing clean energy worldwide (over 90% of energy storage globally is pumped hydro).
To develop PHS in a suitable location, all that is needed is an area in which both a higher and a lower reservoir can be developed. The lower reservoir in a PHS system acts as the energy storage component. When energy is needed, water from the lower reservoir is pumped up to the top reservoir, run through the hydroelectric turbines (thus producing electricity), and then the water flows back down to the lower reservoir where effectively it is once again energy storage.
An area of existing hydroelectric generation can potentially be developed for PHS as well. An existing hydroelectric generating facility (i.e. a hydroelectric dam) can sometimes be upgraded to create a PHS site. For instance, a hydroelectric dam can be turned into a PHS energy storage site as long as the needed topography is present, and the reservoir systems already exist (such as in an existing hydroelectric dam with a lower reservoir/ or an area that can be suitably developed to be a lower reservoir).
Compressed air energy storage(CAES) is dependent on having an underground cavern, mine, or similar subterranean geological area for storing compressed air. CAES is more location-dependent than pumped hydro, but is also a method of energy storage that is growing in popularity worldwide.
The requisite geological needs for CAES keep this form of energy storage from being widespread, as PHS is. As needed areas for pumped hydro are sometimes already developed for hydroelectric generation, and/ or are relatively easy to discover, PHS is much more widely used than CAES.
Currently,li-ion batterieshave a higher energy density, are the least toxic, and are the best battery alternative for utility-scale energy storage (compared tolead-acid, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium, and other conventional battery types).
Li-ion battery packs, likeTesla''s Megapack(illustrated above), can replace natural gas peaker plants to generate a constant source of energy when coupled with variable sources of renewable energy (solar and wind).
Scientists and engineers worldwide will continue to work onnext-generation batteries; improvements in li-ion battery technology, as well as efficient alternatives to li-ion. Advancements in, and alternatives to, li-ion batteries include:graphene-based battery technologies,sodium-ion,lithium-sulfur,lithium-air,vanadium redox flow, andother advanced batteries...).
Fuel cell batteries and flow batteries, such as hydrogen fuel cells and rechargeable vanadium redox flow batteries, are promising new emerging long-duration battery technologies. These new long-duration battery technologies both have low environmental impacts (water vapor is the only by-product from hydrogen fuel cells). Both technologies need more R&D before they are cost-efficient enough to be available on a large commercial scale worldwide.
A technology that also seems very promising, but also needs to be developed more to become cost-effective, is using the batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) for storage. The good news is thatEVs are gaining in popularity worldwide.
It remains important that the energy to charge the EV comes from a renewable energy source in order for this form of energy storage to be truly clean.EV-based energy storageis known asvehicle-to-grid, or V2G(although this technology can also be termed vehicle-to-X, or "V-to-X", where the "X" can be an "H" for "home", "B" for "building", etc...).
Québec''s public electricity utility, Hydro-Québec (which has been known primarily for supplying Québec with hydroelectricity and pumped hydro storage) has partnered with theUS DOE''s Berkeley Labsto create V2G and vehicle-to-home (V2H) systems. These partners are working on V2G/ V2H power, and next-generation batteries for California and Québec (to start with),as seen in this linked article by Utility Dive.
V2G systems implemented for use in municipalities on a regional level will use electricity stored in the batteries of privately owned EVs connected to municipal V2G systems as a backup energy supply for municipal electricity grids during peak periods of energy demand.
V2H systemswill also allow EV and plug-in vehicle owners to use the energy stored in their car''s battery as a temporary home power source during outages. That''s an integrated vision of housing and mobility for the 21stcentury!
A nationwide 20-gigawatt pumped hydro energy storage project sounds expensive, requiring a massive amount of new infrastructure. But that''s not necessarily so, says Vereide and his colleagues, because the 20 gigawatts of storage could be created by simply modifying existing plants whose reservoirs currently fill up and drain slowly over time, depending on ice melt, rainfall and other seasonal factors. These upgrades would allow them to be filled and drained much more rapidly, in order to meet the needs of commercially viable energy storage.
Vereide claims that it would cost around €6 billion ($6.6 billion) to refit the 20 existing plants needed and to supply the necessary grid connections. Basically, he calculates €300 million ($328 million) to ensure 1,000 megawatts for each of 20 existing hydropower plants, plus the same amount of money again for adequate connection to the Norwegian grid. What this amount doesn’t include is the price tag for additional interconnectors to strengthen links between Norway and the rest of Europe, however -- which would be essential for the scheme to fly.
Norway already has some HVDC interconnectors with neighboring countries and is planning more. And these are already used for what Christer Gilje, vice president of corporate communications for Statnett, describes as “virtual energy storage.” Effectively, Statnett -- the Norwegian electricity system operator -- imports cheap renewable energy from surrounding countries to use in place of the country’s usual hydropower. Norwegian hydroelectricity is exported back to those countries on demand.
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