Lead–acid batteries may be flooded or sealed valve-regulated (VRLA) types and the grids may be in the form of flat pasted plates or tubular plates. The various constructions have different technical performance and can be adapted to particular duty cycles. Batteries with tubular plates offer long deep cycle lives.
Lead–acid batteries have been used for energy storage in utility applications for many years but it has only been in recent years that the demand for battery energy storage has increased.
This technology strategy assessment on lead acid batteries, released as part of the Long-Duration Storage Shot, contains the findings from the Storage Innovations (SI) 2030 strategic initiative.
The term advanced or carbon-enhanced (LC) lead batteries is used because in addition to standard lead–acid batteries, in the last two decades, devices with an integral supercapacitor function have been developed.
Improvements to lead battery technology have increased cycle life both in deep and shallow cycle applications. Li-ion and other battery types used for energy storage will be discussed to show that lead batteries are technically and economically effective. The sustainability of lead batteries is superior to other battery types.
The behaviour of Li-ion and lead–acid batteries is different and there are likely to be duty cycles where one technology is favoured but in a network with a variety of requirements it is likely that batteries with different technologies may be used in order to achieve the optimum balance between short and longer term storage needs. 6.