Understanding storage

A strategy for carbon capture technologies

Economic constraints and public acceptance remain two of the biggest challenges to mass deployment of carbon capture technologies in Europe. A unified CCS strategy in Europe could change this

The role of storage in a renewable electricity grid

A fully renewable energy future is within reach and storage is definitely required, but it is a combination of measures that will truly make it possible, argues Johan Söderbom of EIT InnoEnergy

Corporates seek to match generation with demand

Corporate attempts to match every hour of consumption with renewable production could pave the way for grid decarbonisation

Smart EV charging would bring grid stability and fairer prices

The rise in demand from electric vehicles (EVs) will put untold pressure on the already constrained grids. Supporting and expanding smart charging infrastructure will not only stabilise the grid but also provide fair prices to customers at times when energy bills are high, says Torben Fog of Spirii

The present and the future of solar

With solar photovoltaic technology now established, creative new schemes—both technical and financial—are being developed across the globe. In this episode of Watt Matters, we discuss how innovative the solar industry has become and where there is work still left to do

Mineralisation trials seek business case of storing carbon as rock

Once carbon has been captured, the next piece of the puzzle is storing it. One option being explored in Iceland is to mineralise the carbon so it forms as solid rock below the ground—providing a more permanent storage solution. With the growth of carbon markets around the world, the finances behind this plan are also looking solid

Hydrogen sector targets production boost

Energy losses in the production process contribute to making hydrogen produced with renewable energy expensive. Companies and researchers are working to improve the efficiency of electrolyser technology and scale it up, bringing down the green hydrogen price tag at the same time

Grid operators plan for a severe climate future

Electricity networks are buckling under the impact of increasingly frequent and severe climate events. Given the amount of climate change already locked into the atmosphere, this is an issue that will only worsen, forcing assets and infrastructure to adapt. The tools to deal with the problem are available—but it will take a lot of money and political will to avert disaster

Decarbonising heat at city scale

Cities are taking the lead on the decarbonisation of district heating and cooling networks, with the use of heat pumps on the rise

Batteries play a key role in the energy transition and decarbonisation

The European Union’s new Batteries Regulation must encourage more domestic production and be enforceable, says Claude Chanson of RECHARGE, the European advanced rechargeable and lithium battery value chain association

The grid in search of a brain

Around 50% of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy has been a digitised transition to 2020, says Energinet, Denmark's power system operator. As the world digitises further, the already vast volumes of data will only increase in mass. Advances in Artificial Intelligence technology and machine learning tools provide ways of processing this tsunami of data into a new world order

Energy storage is the perfect partner to decarbonise remote areas

The multiple roles of battery energy storage can help remote or off-grid power systems stop using diesel generators. But the regulatory environment needs to adjust to spur wider adoption of these new systems, says Michael Lippert from Saft

Renewables as grid flexibility tool gives glimpse of the future

As economic activity declined under the pandemic so did demand for electricity. Fossil fuel generation was squeezed off the grid by renewable energy projects with lower marginal costs. Fears that the higher proportion of fluctuating supply would destabilise power systems proved unfounded and grids remained stable. If renewables are to be tasked with keeping the grid secure, alternative mechanisms, already available, must be introduced soon

The vital missing links of the energy transition in Europe

No matter how much wind and solar power is generated, the energy transition cannot be achieved without a built-for-purpose electricity infrastructure. Gaps in the interconnections of Europe’s grid network and lack of capacity on the wires where it is needed most will halt green electrification of energy.

Molten salt heat storage

Researchers in Germany are looking at further developing molten salt technology as a means to store heat and produce electricity

Smart grids require much more smart thinking

Smart grid has become a trendy term, but some proper thinking is needed about its meaning and the purpose of information technology advances if the result is to advance the energy transition

Carbon storage struggles with costs

Carbon capture and storage may be needed to decarbonise highly polluting sectors such as steel production, but the power sector would be best advised to focus on renewables and efficiency given the significant costs of the technology

The not so essential role of electricity storage

Is electricity storage essential? Belief is a dangerous foundation for decision-making and beliefs about storage risk major investment errors

Flexibility and the energy transition

The ups and downs in demand for electricity have long made the flexible operation of power systems a must, so increasing that flexibility to also accommodate variations in supply from renewables is not that big a challenge. Having a clear definition of the term can only help the energy transition

Storage has to multi-task to earn its keep

Special report - Electricity Storage part 3/5: By relieving grid bottlenecks of surplus supply and providing bursts of power when needed, storage can add sufficient value to find routes to profitability, but they are limited

Grid scale storage not essential but nice to have

Special report - Electricity Storage part 5/5: The uptake of renewable energy does not increase the need for storage capacity, but stored power can help grid operators flexibly operate power systems, provided it can pay its way

No sign of a silver storage bullet

Special report - Electricity Storage part 4/5: No means of affordably storing large volumes of electricity in all geographies exists, but a robust grid, connected over a wide area, can deliver green energy reliability

The grid is a giant battery

Grid operators need incentives to use the grid as a large scale battery