How residential energy storage systems work

What is energy storage & how does it work?

Today's power flows from many more sources than it used to—and the grid needs to catch up to the progress we've made. What is energy storage and how does it work? Simply put, energy storage is the ability to capture energy at one time for use at a later time.

Why do we need energy storage?

As the cost of solar and wind power has in many places dropped below fossil fuels, the need for cheap and abundant energy storage has become a key challenge for building an energy system that does not emit greenhouse gases or contribute to climate change.

Why do we need a solar storage system?

By charging storage facilities with energy generated from renewable sources, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, decrease our dependence on dirty fossil fuel plants contributing to pollution and negative health outcomes in communities, and even increase community resilience with solar plus storage systems.

How do you store energy?

There are many ways to store energy: pumped hydroelectric storage, which stores water and later uses it to generate power; batteries that contain zinc or nickel; and molten-salt thermal storage, which generates heat, to name a few. Some of these systems can store large amounts of energy.

Why do people install home battery storage systems?

“Energy independence is one of the biggest reasons people install home battery storage systems,” says Gerbrand Ceder, professor at UC Berkeley and faculty staff scientist at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory. “It’s seamless, so you don’t even notice when power switches from the grid to your battery backup system.”

What is a flex energy storage system?

The Flex Energy Storage System is marketed as a “solar generator” alternative to traditional standby generators. It’s explicitly designed for backup power and doesn’t feed excess solar power back to the grid. The system comes in 5–10 kWh capacities and includes solar panels in the installation package.