Current status of grid-side energy storage

When will short-term grid storage demand be met?

Short-term grid storage demand could be met as early as 2030 across most regions. Our estimates are generally conservative and offer a lower bound of future opportunities. Electrification and the rapid deployment of renewable energy (RE) generation are both critical for a low-carbon energy transition 1, 2.

What is grid-scale storage?

Grid-scale storage refers to technologies connected to the power grid that can store energy and then supply it back to the grid at a more advantageous time – for example, at night, when no solar power is available, or during a weather event that disrupts electricity generation.

Does technical EV capacity meet grid storage capacity demand?

Technical vehicle-to-grid capacity or second-use capacity are each, on their own, sufficient to meet the short-term grid storage capacity demand of 3.4-19.2 TWh by 2050. This is also true on a regional basis where technical EV capacity meets regional grid storage capacity demand (see Supplementary Fig. 9).

What could drive future grid-scale storage deployment?

By 2050, annual deployment ranges from 7 to 77 gigawatts. To understand what could drive future grid-scale storage deployment, NREL modeled the techno-economic potential of storage when it is allowed to independently provide three grid services: capacity, energy time-shifting, and operating reserves.

Does storage add value to the grid?

They found storage adds the most value to the grid and deployment increases when the power system allows storage to simultaneously provide multiple grid services and when there is greater solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration.

Is pumped-storage hydropower catching up with grid-scale batteries?

Pumped-storage hydropower is still the most widely deployed storage technology, but grid-scale batteries are catching up The total installed capacity of pumped-storage hydropower stood at around 160 GW in 2021. Global capability was around 8 500 GWh in 2020, accounting for over 90% of total global electricity storage.