Battery energy storage systems manage energy charging and discharging, often with intelligent and sophisticated control systems, to provide power when needed or most cost-effective.
What is a battery energy storage system?
A battery energy storage system (BESS) plays a vital role in balancing renewable energy's intermittency during peaks of demand for electricity. It stores excess energy generated by sources such as solar power and wind during periods of low demand and releases it when needed — ensuring grid stability and preventing outages.
For several reasons, battery storage is vital in the energy mix. It supports integrating and expanding renewable energy sources, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Storing excess energy produced during periods of high renewable generation (sunny or windy periods) helps mitigate the intermittency issue associated with renewable resources.
A battery storage system can be charged by electricity generated from renewable energy, like wind and solar power. Intelligent battery software uses algorithms to coordinate energy production and computerised control systems are used to decide when to store energy or to release it to the grid.
Are batteries the future of energy storage?
Batteries are at the core of the recent growth in energy storage and battery prices are dropping considerably. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, but other technologies are emerging, including sodium-ion, flow batteries, liquid CO2 storage, a combination of lithium-ion and clean hydrogen, and gravity and thermal storage.
The higher the proportion of renewable energies in the energy mix, the more important it is to take precautions to ensure grid stability. In the modern energy landscape, battery systems in which electricity generated from renewable energies is stored play an important role in balancing out fluctuations in wind and solar energy.
Are battery storage systems economically viable?
While they're currently the most economically viable energy storage solution, there are a number of other technologies for battery storage currently being developed. These include: Compressed air energy storage: With these systems, generally located in large chambers, surplus power is used to compress air and then store it.