Energy storage benefits companies

What are the benefits of energy storage?

There are four major benefits to energy storage. First, it can be used to smooth the flow of power, which can increase or decrease in unpredictable ways. Second, storage can be integrated into electricity systems so that if a main source of power fails, it provides a backup service, improving reliability.

How will energy storage impact the energy industry?

Energy storage will support and compete with conventional generation, transmission and distribution resources. As the industry evolves, new business models will emerge where companies make, apply and operate storage assets to allow the grid to work more reliably and cost-effectively while decreasing negative impacts.

What is energy storage technology?

Energy storage technology is designed to be durable and reliable enough to hold on to electrical energy until it needs to be used. With the shift toward renewable energy sources like solar power, batteries and other energy storage systems can help to ensure there’s power available to meet demand.

Why do companies invest in energy-storage devices?

Historically, companies, grid operators, independent power providers, and utilities have invested in energy-storage devices to provide a specific benefit, either for themselves or for the grid. As storage costs fall, ownership will broaden and many new business models will emerge.

Is it profitable to provide energy-storage solutions to commercial customers?

The model shows that it is already profitable to provide energy-storage solutions to a subset of commercial customers in each of the four most important applications—demand-charge management, grid-scale renewable power, small-scale solar-plus storage, and frequency regulation.

Are energy storage products more profitable?

The model found that one company’s products were more economic than the other’s in 86 percent of the sites because of the product’s ability to charge and discharge more quickly, with an average increased profitability of almost $25 per kilowatt-hour of energy storage installed per year.