5 Trends That Will Shape Development of Energy Storage Technology
Electrochemical Energy Storage is an essential element to transition to clean energy around the world. A report from the Internal Energy Agency shows energy storage technology has grown 14% a year since 2005. Batteries account for nearly 90% of all energy storage systems (ESS), largely due to technological advancements and developments.
To keep up with the economy’s demand for battery energy storage, electrochemical energy storage will enter a period of rapid development in the next five years. There are 5 trends continuously being developed to make battery energy storage systems (BESS) more reliable, sustainable, and profitable for the future.
1. Longer System Life Cycle
The economic and payback effects brought by energy storage technology have a direct correlation with the battery life cycle of a battery energy storage system. During the operation of the energy storage system, the energy capacity will decay based on the cell’s specification and system balance status. While batteries do have the advantage of being augmented and replaced in a battery energy storage system, researchers continue to develop new ways to efficiently manage energy storage technology and energy capacity.
Currently, the market solution is to explore new energy storage system materials, develop higher efficiency energy storage management systems, and develop a software controller that optimizes energy storage system performance. As battery energy storage technology advances and software is developed to optimize the system life cycle, this trend alone will see a significant profit return on battery energy storage.
2. Higher Safety Standard
Safety is undoubtedly one of the most important topics since the commercialization of battery energy storage. The nature of having hundreds of batteries contained within a system can understandably deter some people, however major strides have been made around the manufacturing and construction of these systems.
To improve the safety status of battery energy storage systems, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released the NFPA 855 safety standard for the installation of energy storage systems, and global safety certification company UL released the UL9540A test method for testing fire safety hazards associated with thermal runaway within battery systems.
Engineering has come a long way to implement HVAC and ventilation controls that cool and control the batteries and use weatherproofing containers that can be placed in hot and cold climates.
3. Higher Power Rate
As the need for large scale energy storage applications increase, the requirements for higher charging/discharging power rate increases as well. The power rate allows the system to charge or discharge the battery at an increased rate without the need to oversize the system and waste energy.
Applications such as frequency regulation, wind turbine integration, and uninterrupted power supply demand huge amounts of power but only for a short amount of time. With a high discharge rate, the battery can efficiently supply the power needed. If there’s a limitation placed on the energy storage system and it cannot fulfill the request of the applications, extra batteries are needed to supply more power therefore additional space and resources are needed.
4. Higher Energy Density
Researchers are continuously developing new battery energy storage technology to efficiently store more power in smaller batteries. Cutting-edge technology will increase the energy density allowing us to store more capacity into similar-sized batteries.
This trend will benefit battery energy storage projects that have physical space limitations. It is important to identify where your energy storage system will be and if the enclosure can contain the project’s desired capacity.
Every project has its own use case and challenges; therefore, no energy storage system is the same. It is recommended to discuss the key features of the project with the engineering team when approaching a BESS project.
5 Wider Operation Temperature
The enclosure plays an important role in keeping the batteries, technology, and HVAC system working efficiency and safe from outside factors. When choosing an enclosure, it is essential to determine the materials that will be used, the features that will be included, and the layout of the energy storage system.
The grid network is poorly developed in remote areas where the population is scarce, and the climate is extremely hot or cold. Our battery energy storage system is designed to help communities with unreliable grids while protecting the system from extreme temperatures.
Energy Storage is the Future
Energy storage technology will be a critical component in transitioning to a sustainable environment. With energy storage deals previously avoided due to the complexity surrounding cash flow, energy storage as a service (ESaaS) is a promising solution to incorporate energy storage economically. Government mandates and incentives are also offering tax credits regarding energy storage coupled with renewable generation.
The barrier to incorporate energy storage has never been lower. At TROES, we design and deliver modular battery energy storage systems with energy-saving and cost-cutting benefits, while embracing environmentally friendly, safe, and scalable technology.
