Are energy storage technologies the key to reducing energy costs?

Energy storage technologies are also the key to lowering energy costs and integrating more renewable power into our grids, fast. If we can get this right, we can hold on to ever-rising quantities of renewable energy we are already harnessing – from our skies, our seas, and the earth itself. The gap to fill is very wide indeed.

Why is energy storage important?

Storage is indispensable to the green energy revolution. The most abundant sources of renewable energy today are only intermittently available and need a steady, stored supply to smooth out these fluctuations. Energy storage technologies are also the key to lowering energy costs and integrating more renewable power into our grids, fast.

How much money should be invested in electricity generation & storage?

Bruegel estimates that investment in electricity generation and storage alone may need to double to about 1% of annual European Union gross domestic product, while the European Commission puts the price tag on grid investments alone at €584 billion.

How does energy storage work?

It uses excess energy from the local grid during the day, normally supplied by solar power, to compress and liquify the gas, storing it in steel tanks. The heat generated as a by-product during the process is stored in special Thermal Energy Storage units. When there’s a need for electricity, the process is reversed.

Will South Africa get 100 mw of energy storage?

Over 4,000 miles away and with a population one hundred times larger, another country is making great strides in energy storage. Thanks to $250 million in concessional finance from CIF, South Africa is soon to see 100 MW of new storage capacity come online.

Is storage the key to the Green Energy Revolution?

As the technology for generating renewable energy has advanced at breakneck pace – almost tripling globally between 2011 and 2022 – one thing has become clear: our ability to tap into renewable power has outstripped our ability to store it. Storage is indispensable to the green energy revolution.