As the world becomes more reliant on variable renewable energies, energy storage is becoming an increasingly essential pillar of energy security. Currently, energy storage is dominated by lithium-ion batteries, but these hold energy for a matter of hours, when maintaining grid stability in a 100% renewable scenario will require energy storage technologies that can hold onto energy for a matter of months, if not longer.
Wind and solar energy, which are the fastest-growing energy sources in the world, are both variable forms of energy – meaning that their levels of production vary according to the weather, the time of day, and the seasons. To keep a steady flow of energy to and from our power grids, energy storage is necessary to capture excess energy when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, and feed that energy back into the grid when demand outpaces supply. While short-term energy storage is highly useful in this…
