L R AS Published on Monday 14 February 2022 - n° 393 - Categories:residential storage
To make the best use of renewable energy sources, we need to start from the base
To achieve a fossil-free electricity world, to find a viable solution to a global energy crisis, and to reach net-zero consumption targets, it will make sense to develop residential storage.
If a large number of buildings have solar systems with batteries, a virtual power plant can be set up. This network enables surplus renewable energy to be sent to those who need it. This reduces the need for fossil fuels, which will still be needed to cover energy shortfalls once the reserves have been used up, and to speed up the energy transition.
We already have the technology and skills needed to implement it. We have the technology for the batteries, the solar panels, the electricians (to connect the system to the grid) and we have put in place the standards and rules needed for smooth and safe integration.
Rooftop installations and storage are developing at a rapid pace. At the end of 2020, there were 575 GW of solar and 17 GW of storage worldwide, with a forecast of 585 GW by 2030. In addition, fossil fuel boilers have to be maintained, become dirty and only last ten to fifteen years. Battery storage is often modular. Modules can be added or removed. Batteries can also be recycled. For the moment, recycling is difficult because the assemblies are made permanent by spot welding or adhesive. This makes recycling difficult and reusing viable components uneconomic. All battery manufacturers have to do is modify their product to make it recyclable and therefore reusable.
By doing so, they can kick-start the circular economy and save the planet's mineral resources by eliminating the need for landfill. At the same time, battery components can be upgraded as technology advances; components that need to be replaced over time can be easily recycled.
Energy storage offers the flexibility to capture and use as much renewable energy as possible from the grid, local sources, or both, to meet our growing energy needs.
Energy storage is also a 'multiplier' for the strength of clean technologies; if a property is equipped with other clean technologies, such as heat pumps, the stored renewable energy can be used to meet our growing energy needs. the renewable energy stored in the batteries can also be used to power them.
Creating a "virtual power plant
At the same time, storage is essential to cope with the absence of solar or wind generation. If a large number of properties have a reservoir of energy, the virtual power plant will distribute the energy, either from a large 20 or 30 MWh plant, or by using several smaller plants. Owners have already invested in these facilities. All that needs to be done is to group or distribute the production, as most of the capital expenditure has been made at the end of the chain. This use of virtual power stations will be particularly useful for urban centres where space for electricity companies is limited.
Energy storage in the urban environment
One of the current problems is that a boiler costs £1,500 to £2,000, whereas a home storage system is likely to cost three or four times as much. This difference can be offset by government subsidies, as they did twenty years ago for the installation of solar panels. Today, we need incentives in the form of subsidies, tax breaks and payback schemes. Government incentives will be absolutely essential to encourage people to take the plunge.
Governments are aware that there are deadlines for achieving net-zero targets and that the way forward is to store renewable energy.
Homeowners need to understand that there is a longer-term return on investment. Energy storage products with a longer lifespan mean that the owner will continually reap the rewards over time. It is through longevity and reliability that we will make more sustainable storage solutions a reality.
This will take some time. There are still a number of hurdles to overcome before battery storage fully replaces boilers, but when we get there, global carbon emissions will plummet as domestic reliance on natural gas virtually disappears.
PV Magazine, 10 February 2022
Editor's note When it comes to using renewable energies, you can either create a new world or make the most of current trends to create a harmonious whole! Current trends are based on distributed solar systems, soon to include residential storage.
To make the most of this embryonic form of organisation, the trend will be amplified by linking up the various local installations. With the introduction of an energy coordinator for the various installations
This system of using what already exists will considerably reduce installation and infrastructure costs, as we have seen with the projects in California and Catalonia, where the cost is astronomical and almost beyond reasonable reach.
This will lead to greater collectivisation of human societies, which will be even more dependent on their neighbours, contrary to what solar energy announced or thought it was announcing (energy autonomy).
