Energy storage is a key element in building a sustainable energy system and optimizing the use of renewable energy sources. To learn more about what stored energy is, its benefits, and classifications, don’t miss the article below. Let’s follow Alternō right away!
1. What is energy storage?
Energy storage is the process of capturing and reusing energy for use at a later time when the energy supply is no longer available or demand is higher. Energy storage devices can store energy in a variety of forms such as chemical, thermal, or kinetic, and convert it into easily storable forms of energy such as electricity.
Common energy storage methods include lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, flywheel stores energy, and hydronic energy storage systems. Therefore, the development and adoption of advanced store energy technologies not only optimize energy use but also contribute to reducing carbon emissions
2. Key benefits of energy storage systems
Energy storage provides several important benefits, including:
- Improved grid reliability: Energy storage systems provide a critical backup source to respond to power outages or grid failures while avoiding costly investments in transmission and distribution to reduce congestion. This helps maintain a continuous supply of electricity and minimizes disruptions to essential services.
The need for energy storage increases with distance from the power grid. Compared to residences in major cities, homes in rural regions that are distant from the electric transmission system are more susceptible to interruption or weak electricity. These localities will need to use stored energy to prevent power outages.
- Optimize renewable energy use: Renewable energy sources such as solar or wind are not always stable because they depend on the weather conditions of the day. Energy storage allows you to store energy when these sources are producing a lot and provide it when they are not working, improving the efficiency of renewable energy systems.
- Balancing supply and demand: Energy storage helps to regulate the imbalance between energy supply and demand, especially in densely populated cities during peak demand hours. This ensures that energy is always available when needed and reduces spikes in electricity costs.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: By storing energy from renewable sources and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, storing energy contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Enhanced grid stability: Energy storage can provide fast, flexible power to change or reduce power, stabilize frequency, and adjust grid voltage when demand spikes.
3. Types of energy storage
- Batteries
Through electrochemical reactions, battery energy storage transforms it into chemical power and back again when necessary. Common types of batteries are lithium-ion, sodium-sulfur, metal-air, and lead-acid batteries are made to fulfill certain power and endurance specifications. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the most popular types of stored energy batteries due to their high energy density, low cost, and high efficiency.
Batteries can be placed in the distribution system, at the generator, or beside the transmission cables. Energy storage batteries are most commonly used in homes, commercial buildings, and the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
- Thermal
Thermal storage is the practice of storing heat for later use as opposed to using it instantly to create electricity. Thermal systems store and release energy through the use of cooling and heating techniques. The warm liquid is kept at an elevated temperature in sizable tanks until it is needed. It can be molten salts, water, or other molten minerals.
Thermal storage systems are commonly used in thermal power plants, building cooling or heating systems, and solar applications. Thermal storage helps balance energy supply and demand, reduce waste, and increase energy efficiency while supporting the transition to sustainable energy sources.
- Mechanical systems
Flywheels
Flywheels are a mechanical energy storage technology based on the principle of rotating a large mass at high speed. Flywheels store energy by accelerating the flywheel to a high rotation speed, which stores energy in the form of kinetic energy. They can take in and release tremendous power for a maximum of 15 minutes.
Flywheels are particularly well-suited for applications that demand quick bursts of energy rather than long-term storage due to their ability to rapidly release and absorb power. These devices store kinetic energy by spinning a rotor at high speeds, and can deliver this energy almost instantaneously when needed. This makes them ideal for situations where short-term energy boosts are required. Such as stabilizing electrical grids during sudden fluctuations, providing backup power during brief outages, or supporting high-power applications like uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for critical systems.
This store energy technology will be released to provide power when there is an energy shortage. The outstanding advantages of this type of storage are high durability, fast response, and low maintenance. Flywheel helps optimize the performance of existing energy systems and reduce dependence on traditional energy. Therefore, they are often applied in grid power systems that require a highly stable power supply or in vehicles.
Pumped hydropower
Pumped hydropower accounts for over 95% of the energy storage now in use comes from pumped hydroelectric plants, which are the most prevalent type of energy storage on the electrical grid. Pumped hydropower plays a vital role in supporting renewable energy grids by addressing the intermittency of sources like solar and wind.
It functions as a large-scale energy storage system, where excess electricity from periods of high renewable generation is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher one. This stored energy can then be released by allowing the water to flow back down through turbines when renewable generation is low or electricity demand peaks.
By providing a flexible and reliable source of backup power, pumped hydropower helps stabilize the grid, ensuring a continuous and balanced supply of electricity even when solar and wind outputs fluctuate. This capability enhances grid resilience, maximizes the use of renewable resources, and reduces reliance on fossil fuels, thereby supporting a more sustainable energy system.
This type of pumped hydropower energy storage has the advantage of being able to operate for decades and can store large amounts of energy. However, the main disadvantage is that the construction of this system will be quite difficult because it requires a large area and suitable terrain. Pumped storage hydropower plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the grid and ensuring the balance of energy supply when demand increases.
Energy storage plays a key role in building a sustainable and efficient energy system as well as helping to stabilize the grid. Interested in how energy storage can benefit your business or home? Contact Alternō today for expert advice on implementing cutting-edge energy storage solutions!
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