Battery storage for renewable energy is helping us get closer to a future where we use 100 per cent clean power. That means electricity grids must smooth out peaks and troughs in supply from solar, wind and other renewables. To do this, we’re using lithium-ion batteries – the same technology that powers EVs – and other advanced technologies. This enables us to make renewables a bigger part of the grid and speed the transition to fossil fuel-free power.
Reliability
Battery storage is an essential part of a resilient, low-carbon electricity system. It can support renewable energy generation, help balance energy supply and demand, and provide emergency power sources during outages.
As more and more renewable energy becomes available, increasing its flexibility to keep the grid running smoothly will be increasingly important. Reliable, flexible renewables are an ideal solution for this purpose.
The key is to develop policies and regulations that promote renewables and battery storage deployment. These include levying higher time-of-day tariffs and developing an active ancillary services market.
Many forward-looking analyses have modelled 100% renewable energy penetrations, focusing on matching variable renewable energy generation to inflexible demand [35]. They typically do not model the impacts of increased grid-scale energy storage adoption, including how it might mitigate the variability of renewable energy generation.
Time-of-Use Savings
Battery storage helps to reduce demand charges by smoothing out peak power usage and can help customers avoid peaks in price. Depending on the power used, this can mean significant cost savings to the customer.
Unlike traditional power plants that have to start up hours after peak demands occur, batteries can discharge energy into the grid within a fraction of a second. This rapid response can reduce congestion and improve grid stability.
The energy generated by your solar panels during the day can be stored in your battery and used later during periods of high demand or a power outage. This means you can use less electricity during those times, which can save you money and help to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by your energy consumption.
Batteries are becoming more prevalent in the United States, with an estimated 13% of new residential solar installations paired with storage. This growth is driven primarily by customer demand for backup power and financial opportunities.
Energy Independence
Energy independence supplies electricity through solar or storage systems instead of the grid/utility. Ultimately, energy independence is more than saving money and decreasing your carbon footprint. It’s about taking control of your energy future and creating jobs.
As electricity demand increases with new technologies, like electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels, power storage is needed to smooth out demand and avoid price spikes. It can also help reduce the number of inefficient, polluting, and expensive coal-fired plants operating in marginalized communities and support a cleaner, more resilient grid.
Increasingly, governments worldwide are turning to battery storage to address these challenges and facilitate the transition to a clean, renewable energy future. Through various public-private partnerships, battery energy systems can help countries achieve energy independence while ensuring a safe and reliable grid.
Climate Change
Climate change is a long-term alteration in the temperature and weather patterns in a particular area or planet. It is caused by changes in the Sun’s energy output and greenhouse gases emitted by human activities.
As the number of renewables in the electricity mix increases. Battery storage becomes more valuable for balancing and regulating variable energy supplies from solar and wind. High solar penetrations increase energy arbitrage margins by depressing midday prices. Because battery systems can essentially provide the same function as renewables-generated power. They are also beneficial for frequency regulation, which is particularly valuable to grid operators when solar and wind supply is unpredictable.
The impacts of climate change will become increasingly obvious as temperatures rise in the coming decades. However, with strong climate policy, emissions of greenhouse gases. Are likely to remain low enough to keep global average annual temperatures. Below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century.