Energy storage has the potential to play a crucial role in the future of the power sector. However, significant research and development efforts are needed to improve storage technologies, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.
In the realm of inventory challenges, European household storage products faced a historic surge in stock levels by the close of 2022. Adding to the predicament, the weaker demand observed in the initial half of 2023 has exacerbated the drop in shipments to the European household energy storage sector.
In general, they have not been widely used in electricity networks because their cost is considerably high and their profit margin is low. However, climate concerns, carbon reduction effects, increase in renewable energy use, and energy security put pressure on adopting the storage concepts and facilities as complementary to renewables.
The energy storage industry faces several notable limitations and gaps that hinder its widespread implementation and integration into power systems. Challenges include the necessity for appropriate market design, regulatory frameworks, and incentives to stimulate investment in energy storage solutions.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance predictions, the global cumulative installed capacity for household energy storage is anticipated to surpass 15GW/34GWh by the close of 2023, with projections indicating a surge to 93GW/196GWh by 2030.
The US utility-scale storage sector saw tremendous growth over 2022 and 2023. The volume of energy storage installations in the United States in 2022 totaled 11,976 megawatt hours (MWh)—a figure surpassed in the first three quarters of 2023 when installations hit 13,518 MWh by cumulative volume.