Can energy storage technologies help a cost-effective electricity system decarbonization?

Other work has indicated that energy storage technologies with longer storage durations, lower energy storage capacity costs and the ability to decouple power and energy capacity scaling could enable cost-effective electricity system decarbonization with all energy supplied by VRE 8, 9, 10.

How does energy storage work?

Energy storage can store energy during off-peak periods and release energy during high-demand periods, which is beneficial for the joint use of renewable energy and the grid. The ESS used in the power system is generally independently controlled, with three working status of charging, storage, and discharging.

Is energy storage a viable solution?

The use of an energy storage technology system (ESS) is widely considered a viable solution. Energy storage can store energy during off-peak periods and release energy during high-demand periods, which is beneficial for the joint use of renewable energy and the grid.

How will energy storage help meet global decarbonization goals?

To meet ambitious global decarbonization goals, electricity system planning and operations will change fundamentally. With increasing reliance on variable renewable energy resources, energy storage is likely to play a critical accompanying role to help balance generation and consumption patterns.

Does capacity expansion modelling account for energy storage in energy-system decarbonization?

Capacity expansion modelling (CEM) approaches need to account for the value of energy storage in energy-system decarbonization. A new Review considers the representation of energy storage in the CEM literature and identifies approaches to overcome the challenges such approaches face when it comes to better informing policy and investment decisions.

Should energy storage be co-optimized?

Storage should be co-optimized with clean generation, transmission systems, and strategies to reward consumers for making their electricity use more flexible. Goals that aim for zero emissions are more complex and expensive than net-zero goals that use negative emissions technologies to achieve a reduction of 100%.