Storage
In June, Highview Power Storage secured funding from Innovate UK to modify its Liquid Air Energy Storage ("LAES") system to improve its response times. LAES is an interesting concept, as it provides the potential for bulk energy storage without the geological constraints of technologies [...]
I recently wrote about the challenges faced by South Australia as it struggles to adjust to a renewables-heavy grid. I described the issues arising from the closure of large sources of inertia, noting that the technologies required to manage grid frequency in the absence [...]
Last week saw the news that the UK is to host Europe’s largest battery flywheel energy storage system, which will provide fast frequency response services to both the GB and Irish markets. The £3.5 million project will be delivered by a a consortium of [...]
The question of how electricity storage should be treated by regulators is once again in the news, with National Grid and UK Power Networks making submissions to the UK Government setting out their reasons for wanting to be able to own and operate electricity storage [...]
In this second post on the viability of solar + storage (first post here) I examine the conclusions of the Aurora Energy report, which presents a rather more optimistic view of the prospects of the combined technologies, claiming that the cost of backing up [...]
Solar + storage, the combination of solar power and electricity storage, is seen by many as the Holy Grail of the energy markets and the key to a secure, low carbon future. However two recent reports provide conflicting views on whether this is a realistic prospect [...]
In the second article in my series on energy storage, I explore the area of thermal energy storage (TES), which involves the collection of excess thermal energy for later use. This and can be achieved through a range of technologies, at an individual building, [...]
Last week I attended an Energy Institute debate on the subject “Meeting the Carbon Budgets – how “disruptive” technologies could be game changers towards a low carbon future.” The eminent speakers gave an overview of the challenges arising from the Paris agreement in 2015 [...]
Energy storage is seen by some as the Holy Grail of the energy markets, providing a low-carbon alternative to conventional generation for balancing systems with increasing levels of intermittent renewable generation. Over a series of posts, I will explore some of the technologies under development [...]
Domestic solar + electricity storage has for some time been seen as a potentially disruptive combination for electricity systems. Add in electric cars and use of recycled EV batteries in those storage systems, and the story becomes even more interesting. Car companies expanding into [...]