ELECTRICITY STORAGE

Electricity Storage



Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion3

Background3

Electricity storage4

Hydroelectric Capacitance Scheme in the US7

Emerging Areas of Technology8

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)8

Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES)9

Flywheels10

Analysis10

Conclusion11

Electricity Storage

Introduction

It is important to examine the economic and technical impacts of variable renewable energy sources, to determine the potential role of storage in the grid of the future. Including improved operational practices, flexible generation, transmission, and demand response, it is also important to examine the economics of a variety of potentially competing technologies. In relation to the needs of the electric power system as a whole, it is important to consider the potential role of energy storage, while there are clear benefits of using energy storage to enable greater penetration of solar and wind, in addition. For the progress of a future energy supply system that is decentralized, using renewable energy in remote locations and the incorporation into the electricity system of affordable and reliable electricity storage is a prerequisite (Herzog, 2001). In the standard of technical products and services that we need and are accustomed to with the sustainable energy supply and in the effort to combine a future, energy storage therefore has a pivotal role.

Discussion

Background

Relying on sub-systems or components to store energy is the vast majority of today's technology products. Where and when required by the application, mechanical energy, compressed air, heat or cold, and electricity, has to be made available. Leading to application failures, unacceptable to private, commercial and industrial consumers are excessive or inadequate power levels and a delayed response to a power requirement. Matching the requirements of applications to the energy supply are the energy storage systems. Concerning their most efficient point of operation, their lead times for starting up or shutting down and their response time to changing demand, heating systems, compressors, power stations etc. all have different performance characteristics. Operation of energy conversion and generation devices at low efficiency levels has to be accepted, and without energy storage the timely availability of energy is compromised. The cost of competing solutions and the demands of the application is what the decision to use an energy storage system depends on. The use of grid connection and fossil fuel based generation are competing solutions, for instance, in renewable energy systems (Barton, 2004).

By conventional energy generation the energy storage systems can usually be replaced. However, this can lead to a need for investment in additional energy generators with fast response time and high power output and an inefficient use of fossil fuels. Energy storage systems will not be used, where this is cost efficient and acceptable. Reducing the overall capital investment for an energy system, efficient and low cost energy storage systems can lower fuel emissions and consumption, conversely. An example of this is hybrid transport systems.

Electricity storage

Electricity can be converted back to electricity when necessary and it can be easily stored in other forms, although electricity cannot be directly stored (cheaply). The cost of storing power produced at night can be covered by the additional value of the electricity during peak ...