Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/912901
NETWORK / 28 / DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 ENERGY STORAGE L ong-duration (>3 hours) energy stor- age is transforming how the world generates and consumes energy. The infrastructure it provides enables renewable energy sources to be used on- demand, 24/7 and allows clean, plentiful and cost-effective energy to come online in greater quantities without compromising the transmission and distribution network. Simply put, energy storage technologies, deployed correctly, both in-front and behind the meter, will allow renewables to compete with conventional coal, gas and nuclear generation for an even larger share of base - load generation as part of a smarter, more flexible energy system in the UK. The business case for storage remains very strong, with industry experts estimating that "by 2024, roughly 81GWh of energy stor - age will be installed globally". The incentives are obvious, with solar and wind genera- tion now trending towards levelised cost of energy figures far below that of traditional baseload generation sources. For instance, according to DECC, (now BEIS) 2016 levelised cost of energy figures, solar sits at 5.9p/ kWh with wind at 4.7p/kWh, compared to coal and CCGT at 12.5p/kWh and 6.5p/kWh respectively. For perspective, the Hinkley Scott McGregor, CEO of redT energy storage, discusses different forms of energy storage and how each type has its own benefits and disadvantages. Storage matters Point C strike price is 9.25p/kWh, almost twice DECC's figures for PV and wind. Food for thought. Different technologies From a technology perspective, there are many different forms of energy storage with a plethora of different chemistries and processes, making it somewhat difficult to make an assessment of which approach is correct for the specific needs of a customer. Due to its widespread use within consumer electronics and electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries are probably the best known of these. However, lithium has its limitations, only being viable for high power, short duration (<3 hours) applications. As such, if lithium is used too heavily, it degrades rap - idly and requires replacement – a fact that many of us can relate to through experience of mobile phone batteries! We believe that lithium is a good technology, and along - side lead acid batteries, flow machines and pumped hydro, it is one of the few tried and tested mature technologies available. How- ever, it is well suited to certain applications, a fact the market is now waking up to, evi- denced by the recent "derating" discussion surrounding capacity market auctions. The word battery is banned in our office. We develop and supply vanadium flow machines, not batteries. Where lithium and lead acid batteries contain power and energy within a cell, our machines separate these