FEATURE ECO POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENERGY STORAGE CAN PROVIDE A bright future for energy supply
Simon Johnson, Storage Engineering Manager, RES explores the potentials for energy storage
estimates that 1MW of energy storage can displace 3MW of fossil fuel standby generation, leading to improved performance and reduced costs to the consumer. The task now is to make energy storage
commonplace in the UK and across Europe, like it is increasingly becoming in the States. We as a continent have been slow on the uptake of this concept, and currently the speed at which energy storage can provide energy to the grid is not valued as highly as it should be. This needs to change, as in my view, the market will open up once this is the case. One of the benefits of energy storage is
D
espite the fact many consumers have not heard of it, energy storage is not a
new concept. In fact, it’s been around for hundreds of years, via reservoirs storing hydro-electric power or a hot water tank storing heat for when a home owner requires it. However, in the past few years it’s come back to the fore, and is being presented as a valuable tool to provide electricity network operators with increased control over their grids and as a supporting tool to increase the amount of renewable energy on the network. It achieves this in a variety of ways, for
example, by addressing variable output. While some may take issue with the fact that turbines don’t spin when there is no wind, they are perhaps unaware that often turbines produce too much energy for Grid requirements. This variation in power generation is something the Grid needs to be able to manage as more renewables come online and lessen our reliance on coal and gas power.
THE ISSUES WITH THE GRID However, this presents a problem as the Grid is built around the traditional model, handling our day-to-day energy needs by knowing the peak times of day when there will be a surge in energy (mornings and evenings). To cope with any mass surges, there are standby fossil fuel facilities often waiting idle until the moment the Grid needs back up. When additional energy is needed, these fossil fuel plants respond and
14 AUTUMN 2015 | ENERGY MANAGEMENT
produce much needed energy, however there is a delay of tens of seconds to several minutes between the request for energy and the energy being available from the plants. Due to this delay the demand may have already subsided by the time the energy is available, leading to wastage of energy and increase in the cost of energy. While this method works, it is neither quick in today’s terms nor cost effective. Energy storage, on the other hand, is more immediate (reacting in under a second) and more cost effective as any surplus energy generated goes back into storage. Energy storage can both provide and receive energy, which is more useful to the Grid long-term.
HARNESSING THE POWER It therefore means that when it is a windy or sunny day, we can harness this power and store it for times of the day when less renewable energy is generated. We all know that peak energy demand is in the morning as we grope around for our morning coffee and in the evening as we come home and start supper. Unfortunately, renewable energy is not always generated at these times of day. Energy storage helps this conundrum and will make energy cheaper for users as the Grid will be able to match supply and demand more efficiently. US network operator PJM
Figure 1:
Energy storage, is a cost effective method of storing any surplus energy generated by resources such as renewable energy
that it can provide the market with different services, and can combine revenue streams to suit the investor. Having, for example, solar panels on the roof and an energy storage system, businesses can provide a smooth flow of energy to the Grid. Additionally, businesses can reduce their costs by consuming their stored energy at peak times, reducing distribution use of system charges.
“One
of the benefits of energy storage is that it can provide the market
with different services, and can combine revenue streams to suit the investor ..."
UTILISING ENERGY STORAGE We now need to develop and implement energy storage as it has the opportunity to lower the cost of energy for developers and end consumers. Upfront investment will be expensive, but the falling price of PV shows that as technologies become more common, the price falls as the cost is spread. To aid this, investors need to be thinking of working with developers who can deliver an end-to-end service and offer a range of services to manage the project well. Developers who manage and understand the whole energy mix (solar, wind, DSM, storage) will help drive the market forward as they appreciate the complex nature of renewables. Energy storage presents the opportunity for the Grid to reap the rewards of a quick, reactive technology which passes on savings to end
consumers. It’s time for Europe to take action as this market will be one of the most
competitive very soon, and we don’t want to get left behind when it comes to keeping the lights on.
Renewable Energy Systems
www.res-uk.com 01923 299 200
/ ENERGYMANAGEMENT
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