Our electric future needs low-cost long-duration storage for grids. Per kWh, pumped hydropower is about $60, compressed air energy storage (CAES) costs from $150 to $300, and lithium-ion batteries cost around $300 (and only store energy from one to four hours). Wayne Hicks at NREL describes research into thermal energy storage (TES) using solid particles such as sand which is abundant worldwide. With a duration lasting hundreds of hours, … [Read more...]
Long-duration storage: mechanical, electrochemical, thermal. We’ll need all three
“Long-duration” means the amount of time a power system can discharge electricity (this is different from long-term storage, i.e. the amount of time a system can store energy before discharging it). As Maria Chavez at UCS explains, it’s vital to the success of intermittent wind and solar roll-out which needs to store its excess generation for when it’s needed. And as electrification grows it will provide greater grid flexibility and resilience … [Read more...]