Energy Storage for Power Grids – by Guest Blogger Anil

The Obama administration declared year 2009 as the one dedicated to ‘Smart Grids.’ There has been lot of hue and cry turning the electrical grids into a modern network that runs with the help of microprocessors and software to work efficiently. While almost every product mankind is using has undergone a technological overhaul, electric grids continue to be based on a more than 100 year old technology. Energy experts claim that substantial energy saving can be achieved if customers have micro level details about the energy consumption. Add to it, renewable energy sources can also provide additional energy to the grid.

The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded millions in stimulus funds to companies to demonstrate ‘smart’ electric grid systems and energy storage projects. DOE is encouraging battery makers among other players to demonstrate that power grids may store energy for the ‘right’ time.

Within the discussion about Smart Grid, energy storage is often ignored. Recently, in a conference, the issue came up that finding entrepreneurs with lasting focus and innovative ideas in grid energy storage is a difficult task. A small number of battery makers in US have been emphasizing on the market of electric and hybrid vehicles. The energy storage for grids has been an issue and by deriving idea from these battery makers in US, it was decided that stimulus funds should be given to battery makers in a hope to find the solution for energy storage for grids as well.

This leads to the perennial question – is installing batteries a feasible solution for storing energy at grid scale? While the technology might work effectively in some cases including electric and hybrid vehicles, experts point that grid scale energy storage is a different ballgame with requirements of high energy density of the storage material.

DOE has announced US$620 million in stimulus funding for 32 smart grid programs, which will be coupled with another US$1 billion in private money. A total of US$770 million from government and industry sources in the next few years will go to energy storage, giving a number of storage technologies a chance to prove their worth.

Out of the total 32 projects, 16 are related to demonstration of energy storage technologies and to add digital intelligence to the grid that will help to integrate various power grids and storages. It is surprising that the list of various energy storage technologies includes compressed air and flow batteries which had been rarely discussed. It is unlikely that all the DOE-aided projects will prove to be commercially viable. A number of start-ups are developing technologies they hope can address a specific storage application.

Tomorrow, I’ll post something to describe various technologies and offer my opinion on their ability to support the objective.