ENERGY STORAGE

Electricity Storage

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion4

Importance of Energy Storage in the Context of Power Generation and Supply4

Pumped Storage7

Three Different Areas of Emerging Technology Associated with Energy Storage Technology8

Grid-connected energy storage9

Low carbon technology10

Fuel cells10

Conclusion11

References12

Electricity Storage

Introduction

Energy storage has turned out to be a very significant part of the generation and distribution system of energy in UK. It will definitely produce positive impacts on the intermittency of renewable generation systems by making sure the energy supplied by grid is smooth. While focusing on the emerging energy storage technologies that are available in the development, provision of storage is found to be comparatively complicated. The biggest transformation is going through the electricity sector in the existing situation for over half a century. The requirement for the diversification of the sources of electricity generation, emerging in fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable plants in order to work with the current infrastructure of generation, and the adjustments to the distribution network allowing the contribution of these sources to the National Grid, as well as the development of smart appliances and smart grids in order to permit the need to be differentiated according to the cost of power and availability. These all are altering the way in which electricity is generated, used and accessed (Energy Research Partnership Technology Report, 2012).

A major role is already being played by the companies in UK for the development and management of generative and power capacity. Thousands of thermal installations, nuclear and new-build renewable will be required by this huge increment in capacity. Over a century, firms in UK have established thermal power stations, for more than 50 years nuclear power plants and it has world's leading power generation sector (Energy Research Partnership, 2012).

Discussion

Importance of Energy Storage in the Context of Power Generation and Supply

With the development of new power plants, there is observed an increased demand of maintenance, repair and outage (MRO), plus decommissioning and upgrade of current generation capacity. The extended power sector supply chain and firms in UK have initiated advanced methodologies that facilitate the conduction of major functions on power plant safely without the interruption in supply. Furthermore, many fundamental equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of leading power equipment are included in UK supply chain. Storage technologies and pioneering carbon capture technologies involving the creation of new cleaner fuels are developed in private firms in UK. Further these technologies are developed and tested in order to tackle the difficulties of cleaning carbon dioxide from thermal power plant and various other emission sources, and evaluating the health and safety options based on long-term underground storage (Camco Clean Energy, 2012).

In order to identify the importance of energy storage in the future of the grid, it is highly required to evaluate the economic and technical impacts of variable renewable resources. It is also very necessary to evaluate the economics of a number of potentially competing technologies involving flexible generation, demand response, improved operational practices and transmission. Furthermore, there are several obvious advantages to focus on the energy storage importance related to the demands of ...