What are some innovative ways to store energy for electric utilities?

PHS offers large-scale and long-duration storage, along with ancillary services. However, challenges include high capital costs, environmental impacts from dam construction, and the need for specific geographical conditions, limiting its widespread deployment. Ongoing research aims to address these limitations and enhance PHS sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

My view is that the lifetime cost of PSP is only half of emerging storage technologies like BESS, this will take a long time to catch up. However the challenge is the identification of the right location, strong appetite for execution, long gestation period.

I may Disagree with the Flywheel Energy Storage System as it is not for long term storage, So you can barely call it a storage system. In Thermal Energy Storage I want to suggest one more type which is in engineering articles now a day that is called "Sand Battery"

There are different energy storage solutions available today, but lithium-ion batteries are currently the technology of choice due to their cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), store energy from different sources and discharge it when needed. BESS consist of one or more batteries and can be used to balance the electric grid, provide backup power and improve grid stability.

There are a lot of PSH projects already working in North America and China but in India it is in the initial phase and in that also only one variable PSP machine is in the installation process named TEHRI. So definitely for the developing countries it is one of the most prominent Green Energy Storage solution.

- Flow batteries - These batteries store energy in liquid electrolytes that flow through the system. They can be scaled up to store large amounts of energy and are longer lasting than lithium-ion batteries. Some new flow battery designs use inexpensive, abundant materials. - Sodium-ion batteries - Sodium-ion batteries replace lithium with sodium, which brings down materials costs. They can also be made from non-flammable materials, improving safety. Several companies are working to improve sodium-ion energy density and cycle life.

Saving electricity in batteries provides several advantages like 1. Portability: batteries can be portable and easily replaceable, and can be used outside 2. Backup Power: good backup and loss of energy is less, more efficient. 3. Renewable Energy Integration: good storage support for solar, wind power plants 4. Load Shifting: load shifting can be done automatically in a good way in a power station or substations 5. Grid Stability: contribute to stability of the grid, as power is fed to the grid by different power generation (coal, solar, wind and nuclear etc...)

Batteries used in a wide range of devices such as cars,Aircraf, spacecraft, smartphones, laptops, cameras, and many more. The battery converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy through a chemical reaction, typically involving two electrodes and an electrolyte. This electrical energy is then used to power the device it is connected to. The battery's capacity to store and deliver energy is usually measured in ampere-hours (Ah) or milliampere-hours (mAh), and its voltage determines the amount of power it can provide.They are different type of batteries depend on the demand like LION Batteries, NiCad Batteries and lead Acid.

At the moment, lithium ion (Li-ion) is the top choice for solar batteries, as this type is very reliable and can be found in leading battery storage products, including the Tesla Powerwall, Generac PWRcell, and LG Chem. However, sodium ion batteries are a promising technology, because they will be safer to use and theoretically cheaper to produce. That said, the technology has not moved much in the past few years, despite recent stories about breakthroughs.

With battery storage, the issue of self-discharge comes up and needs to be controlled. The rate of self-discharge is different for each battery type and is also dependent on the storage temperature. In addition, there is the need for other management systems (charge control, cooling system etc) to ensure the proper operation of the batteries.

- Salt cavern storage - Salt deposits with excavated caverns provide naturally occurring storage reservoirs for compressed air. These take advantage of geological formations and can offer large-scale long-duration storage. - Underwater compressed air storage - Underwater balloons or balloons anchored to lakebeds can store compressed air underwater, using water pressure to add extra density. This increases storage capacity in a carbon-neutral system.

Apart from mentioned above like... 1 - Pumped hydro storage 2 - Battery storage 3 - Compressed air energy storage 4 - Thermal energy storage 5 - Hydrogen energy storage 6 - Flywheel energy storage... .... a "NUCLEAR ENERGY"

Una forma de almacenar energía es con una central hidroeléctrica reversible, es una central hidroeléctrica que además de poder transformar la energía potencial del agua en electricidad, tiene la capacidad de hacerlo a la inversa, es decir, aumentar la energía potencial del agua subiéndola a un embalse. Es decir, satisfacer la demanda energética en horas pico y almacenar energía en horas valle. Un ejemplo es la Central hidroeléctrica Los Reyunos ubicada en la provincia de Mendoza Argentina sobre el río Diamante. La central posee 2 grupos turbina - bomba reversible con una potencia unitaria de 115 MW y una generación media anual de 247 GWh.

Seabed compressed air balloons in conjunction with offshore wind farms to store compressed air during low power demand and high wind speed durations. Can be instantly released for instant frequency control network balancing on demand. Can be hidden beneath the seabeds out of site. Thank me later👍

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is a technology that stores energy in the form of compressed air, typically in large underground caverns or other storage vessels. Managing CAES involves several key steps to ensure efficient operation and effective utilization of stored energy. Here's a guide on how to manage Compressed Air Energy Storage: Identify suitable geological formations for the creation of underground caverns or select appropriate above-ground storage vessels. Factors such as geology, proximity to energy sources and demand centers, and environmental considerations are essential.

The mantra for our future low carbon energy systems is backup, backup, backup, flexibility, and sharing. Thermal energy storage occupies a key place. A sand battery behaves like an energy "slack tank" that kicks in when there is an interruption in service. For example, Polar Night sand battery from Finland, can hold 600C for months. A basalt based heat battery can hold up to~1100C. This level of heat provides temporary system flexibility for local district building heat, winter heat for indoor food growing, or steam to generate emergency back up power. The stored heat comes from temporary oversupply of intermittant electricity that might otherwise be wasted, or waste heat.

Thermal energy storage has the potential to drive renewable energy adoption for industrial applications. These applications such as refining or metal work require high heat at all hours of the day. These thermal energy storage "batteries" can keep energy stored over night and release it using a simple heat exchanger. They can also be used in tandem with thermophotovoltaics (see companies like Antora) to deliver electric power with high efficiency and minimal energy loss.

Hydrogen Energy Storage: Hydrogen can be stored and later used for electricity generation through fuel cells or combustion. The process involves electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen gas, which is stored and then converted back to electricity when needed. Hydrogen storage has the advantage of being able to store large amounts of energy for long durations, and it can also serve other applications, such as fuel for transportation or industrial processes.

- Molten salt storage - Solar thermal plants can store high-temperature heat in large tanks of molten salts that retain heat very well. The stored heat can generate steam and electricity as needed, even when the sun isn't shining. - Hot/cold rocks - Excess electricity is used to heat or cool underground geologic formations by pumping water through hot/cold rock layers underground. The stored thermal energy is extracted with heat exchangers as needed to generate steam.

thermal energy storage (TES) is a versatile technology with applications in various sectors. It plays a crucial role in optimizing energy usage, improving efficiency, and supporting the integration of renewable energy sources. The ability to store and release thermal energy strategically contributes to addressing energy demand fluctuations and promoting sustainability.

Hydrogen energy storage refers to the process of storing energy in the form of hydrogen. This is typically accomplished by converting electrical energy into hydrogen through electrolysis, and then storing the hydrogen in special tanks or through chemical processes. The stored hydrogen can later be converted back into electricity or used as a fuel for various applications, such as vehicles or energy production.

Hydrogen energy storage is a method for electric utilities to store excess energy, especially from renewable sources like wind and solar. It involves converting electricity into hydrogen via electrolysis, and later re-converting it to electricity as needed. This system helps balance energy supply and demand, and is beneficial for long-term, large-scale energy storage. It's a clean solution, as it only emits water when used in fuel cells. However, challenges like conversion efficiency and infrastructure development need addressing for wider adoption.

Distributed energy resources like wind, geothermal, tidal energy are far from electric consumption centres and need long cables, big transformers etc. It’s a big obstacles for paralleling those power to the grids in big countries. Hydrogen can be generated at those electricity farms and transported in the same way as petroleum.

Hydrogen storage advantages: 1. Clean Energy Carrier:Hydrogen is a versatile and clean energy carrier. When used in fuel cells, it produces electricity with only water and heat as byproducts. 2. High Energy Density:Hydrogen has a high energy density, making it a potent source of energy storage. This is crucial for applications where weight and space considerations are significant. 3. Versatility:Hydrogen can be used in various sectors, including transportation, industry, and power generation, providing a versatile solution for a wide range of energy needs. While hydrogen storage has these advantages, challenges such as production methods, infrastructure development, and cost-effectiveness still need to be addressed for widespread adoption.

Hydrogen storage is a key enabling technology for the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in applications including stationary power, portable power, and transportation. Hydrogen has the highest energy per mass of any fuel; however, its low ambient temperature density results in a low energy per unit volume, therefore requiring the development of advanced storage methods that have potential for higher energy density.

Flywheel energy storage systems use a rapidly rotating flywheel to store energy as rotational kinetic energy. Ideal for short-duration, high-power applications, they offer high efficiency, long operational life, and minimal environmental impact. These systems are particularly useful for power quality applications and stabilizing renewable energy outputs. They excel in smoothing power supply interruptions and voltage fluctuations. However, their energy storage capacity is lower compared to other methods like batteries.

The technology is great but not mature enough to be used in an economically manner. Vacuum and magnetic bearings are basically a necessity, but expensive. Limiting factor is the maximum circumferential speed imposed by the materials used for the rotating mass. So advances in material science and further cost reduction may enable this technology in the future to a wider extent.

The concept of flywheel energy storage is very good but the benefit of this project is limited, only a small period of power generation can be used only for a short duration during grid fluctuation but long time power generation not possible obtained from this project, this project can be very beneficial where a load centre is situated and need urgent stabilisation. Energy conversion has lots of losses.

We can store energy in chemical way like batteries, fuel cell, or mechanical way like flywheel ,any of them provides the possibility to store energy , but the cost is so important , that’s why the batteries are common used for energy storage , we can see them connected to ESS , UPS , rectifiers …etc ,tacking the fact that designing DC Converter is much easier considering batteries from design +cost point of view , any Buck converter can be applied with simple circuit for batteries ,but tacking the bad environment effect of batteries and battery’s limitation , we should search another low cost solution .

Este tipo de almacenamiento bajo mi punto de vista está enfocada a entregar una gran cantidad de potencia durante poco tiempo, además respecto a las otras conlleva algunas grandes desventajas como el gran desembolso que supone y los mantenimientos de personal muy especializados.

Providing more local/DNO network support with Vehicle to grid with provision of grid services, also use of localised small scale nuclear reactors.

A smart solution is to use an energy management software to drive all the available power, not used in the buildings, to the electrical car chargers. Example given: Load Management System (LMS) from Schneider Electric

A small biomass energy based plant having a boiler or reactor can provide 24/7 power supply and heat, biomass is usually available everywhere where we can use residue of biomass like seasonal crop residue and the wood chips which are always available and never ending products. Energy conversion from this source is clean and environment friendly and this small project can give the energy to a small village, corporate, hospital, college, school and commercial building. It eliminates the problem of dumping biomass and gives an extra source of income to a lower labour class.

Innovative energy storage solutions include advanced batteries, compressed air energy storage, flywheels, and pumped hydro storage. Additionally, emerging technologies like thermal energy storage and gravity-based systems show promise for enhancing grid resilience and reliability.

One more energy storage to be considered is Supercapacitors. Unlike traditional capacitors, supercapacitors use high-surface-area porous materials and electrolytes to achieve a much larger capacitance. The stored energy is released during the discharging process when the supercapacitor is connected to a circuit. Supercapacitors are known for their high power density, meaning they can deliver and absorb energy rapidly. This makes them suitable for applications where quick bursts of power are required, such as in regenerative braking systems, power backup systems, and some renewable energy applications. Supercapacitors typically have a high cycle life and they generally have lower energy density compared to traditional batteries.