Looking to make a name for yourself in the energy industry? You need to stay current on the latest trends and present yourself as the expert your future employer is looking for to help them make smart business decisions and serve their clients best for years to come. A big topic of conversation these days is around energy storage, and if your knowledge is limited in this area, you are missing out. Because this is a skill the market needs right now. Read on to learn more about energy storage and how it can impact your market.
Energy Storage Around the Globe
As more renewable energy sources are incorporated into the power generation mix, the need for energy storage capabilities becomes quickly apparent. In this industry, it’s critical to understand how storage works and where it will bring the most benefit.
Trials and demonstrations have been taking place around the globe over the past year (not just in the U.S., but in the U.K. and elsewhere as well). Each project was designed with the intention of exploring and optimizing energy storage to increase the reliability and cost-effectiveness of renewable energy. One demonstration project in Texas, sought to develop training and education about storage for utilities, while another in Hawaii identified how aggregated storage can form virtual power plants. Proposals for trials in New York were requested in order to optimize commercially available technologies. In the U.K., a trail began to source and optimize recycled electric vehicle batteries for homeowners, and in Australia, a trial now is underway to highlight the benefits of storage combined with solar in remote communities.
These trials are just a small piece of the puzzle in how energy stakeholders are building up knowledge surrounding the many different options for storing energy and where storage can support renewables development. Over the coming years, we can continue to expect to see a variety of new trials and demonstrations and the results of completed and ongoing projects. This information will pave the way for future renewable energy projects and influence policy decisions as well. The value of renewable energy is increasingly dependent on the stability and resiliency of a green and renewable power grid.
Solar and Wind
One trend that has been popularized in recent years is that of solar plus storage. Its benefits include added stability for solar-based energy generation for homeowners, and even big industry disrupters like Tesla, who in 2017, opened their New York showroom for electric vehicles, solar rooftop systems, and batteries. The successes of these localized projects have wide sweeping impacts for the energy market, including the utility-scale wind plus storage movement which is quickly following in the footsteps of solar.
Utilities and renewable energy developers in the U.S., France, Spain, and Sweden announced last year that they either started or have completed projects that integrate batteries with wind power projects in their portfolios. Offshore wind is also part of the movement. With the global wind power fleet growing older, we can expect to hear additional announcements come out this year regarding energy storage integration with wind as part of the repowering of aging wind farms.
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