Electrical Energy Storage Technology and its Use Within the Intelligent Grid

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects overall global energy consumption to increase by 47% between 2010 and 2035, with China and India ttogether accounting for half of the growth. This is increasingly presenting a major problem to power suppliers around the world as electrical energy infrastructures in most countries are antiquated, wasteful, and unable to cope with rising demand.

Features and benefits

• Analyze existing electrical energy storage technology.
• Examine existing smart grid projects and the storage solutions they have employed.
• Analyze the renewable energy sector and the issues associated with integrating green power into existing distribution systems.
• Assess the problems that can occur when suppliers face unexpected peak demand.
• Understand the major drivers behind growing global demand for electrical power.

Highlights

The problem of the intermittent delivery patterns of green energy technology can be solved by storing up power generated during off-peak periods for dispersal at times of greater need. However, the best means of storing energy remains a matter for debate with no definitive one-size-fits-all solution yet established as an industry standard.

The European utility-scale battery market was valued at $126.4m in terms of revenue in 2010 and could be worth as much as $564.9m by 2015. With renewable energy investment increasing rapidly, the demand for battery storage is expected to rise as well.

Along with compressed air energy storage, pumped storage offers the least expensive form of energy storage, with a 1,000MW project costing about $1,500/KW to $2,500/KW, according to the National Hydropower Association in Washington, DC.

Your key questions answered

• What are the major smart grid projects and what challenges have they encountered?
• What are the different types of battery storage technology available and what are their pros/cons?
• What innovations in battery technology still need to take place before they can be used at utility-scale?
• To what extent is the renewable energy sector influencing change in electrical energy distribution?
• What is the future outlook for smart grid uptake?

Table of Contents

About the author
Disclaimer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The smart grid and its storage needs
Batteries
Water- and hydrogen-based systems
Alternative utility-scale storage systems
The future outlook

The smart grid and its storage needs
Summary
Global electricity demand
Smart grids are a necessity
The energy storage dilemma
Batteries
Hydropower: the main storage system
Other alternatives

Batteries
Summary
Battery market set for rapid growth
Conventional battery types
Lead-acid batteries
Sodium-sulfur
Lithium-ion (li-ion)
Cost is the main obstacle
Flow batteries

Water- and hydrogen-based systems
Summary
Batteries are not the only option
Pumped storage leads the way
Fuel cells are beginning to emerge

Alternative utility-scale storage systems
Summary
Alternative systems come into play
Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
Flywheels are also an option
Molten salt thermal storage
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)

The future outlook
Summary
Energy consumption driving demand for storage

Appendix
Glossary/abbreviations

List of Tables

Table: New renewable capacity by power source (GW), 2011
Table: Global energy storage by technology, non-hydro (MW), 2011
Table: Global investment in renewable energy ($bn), 2011
Table: Commercial energy storage systems for renewable integration, 2011
Table: Countries with highest investments in fuel cell technology ($m), 2011
Table: High potential application markets for energy storage (GW), 2011
Table: Projected market for US storage (MW), 2017

List of Figures

Figure: New renewable capacity by power source (GW), 2011
Figure: Global energy storage by technology, non-hydro (MW), 2011
Figure: Global investment in renewable energy ($bn), 2011
Figure: Maximum power of energy storage systems (MW), 2011
Figure: Countries with highest investments in fuel cell technology ($m), 2011
Figure: Molten salt system, 2012
Figure: High potential application markets for energy storage (GW), 2011
Figure: Projected market for US storage (MW), 2017