Why Energy Storage is Critical for Flexible and Fast Grid Capacity
Energy storage systems (ESSs) will be critical to the provision of an affordable, sustainable and secure electricity supply. ESSs support an increase in electricity consumed nearer to generation sources, bringing much needed cost efficiencies. They also make grids more flexible, reliable, resilient and stable. For example, when the frequency drops from its nominal value (which could cause parts of the network to shut down), frequency regulation enables energy companies to quickly ‘inject’ just the right amount of additional, controllable power into the grid. But what are the key challenges that need to be overcome from a technology, standards, market regulation and business model perspective?By Ciro Scognamiglio, NEC Italy, Italy