Renewable energy sometimes fluctuates, which is why Pike Research is forecasting that energy storage on the grid [ESG] will expand by 56GW in the next ten years.
The weather plays a big part in renewable energy production. Rainfall dictates how much hydroelectric energy is produced, cloudy days reduce the amount of solar energy produced, and even the best wind farm can suffer from days without wind.
Energy storage on the grid, such as the world’s largest rechargeable battery pack in China, can help to smooth out these fluctuations. It would also reduce our demand for more consistent, and dirty, fossil fuel power generation.
If renewable energy is going to take a major step forward, these fluctuations are going to need management. Pike Research’s study released yesterday indicates that in the next ten years, by 2022, some 56GW of long-term energy storage on the grid will need to be installed to meet the demands of the renewable energy sector. There are a number of ways to do this, including water towers, rechargeable batteries, and this gravel energy storage system we looked at last year.
