Battery energy storage systems are considerably more advanced than the batteries you keep in your kitchen drawer or insert in your children’s toys. A battery storage system can be charged by electricity generated from renewable energy, like wind and solar power.
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.
China’s CATL, the world’s largest battery producer, says its energy storage batteries can last for 25 years. Will it save the planet? Not on its own — but grid-scale energy storage is part of the combination of clean energy technologies that is needed to reach net zero.
In a secondary battery, energy is stored by using electric power to drive a chemical reaction. The resultant materials are “richer in energy” than the constituents of the discharged device .
Batteries offer one solution because they can quickly store and dispatch energy. As installations of wind turbines and solar panels increase — especially in China — energy storage is certain to grow rapidly. They are part of the arsenal of clean energy technologies that will enable a net zero emissions future.
The UK government estimates technologies like battery storage systems – supporting the integration of more low-carbon power, heat and transport technologies – could save the UK energy system up to £40 billion ($48 billion) by 2050, ultimately reducing people’s energy bills.