Energy Storage
Energy storage allows energy to be saved for use at a later time. It helps maintain the balance between energy supply and demand, which can vary hourly, seasonally, and by location.
DEFINITION: Energy stored in the form of chemical fuels that can be readily converted to mechanical, thermal or electrical energy for industrial and grid applications. Power generation systems can leverage chemical energy storage for enhanced flexibility.
Flow batteries and compressed air energy storage may provide storage for medium-duration. Two forms of storage are suited for long-duration storage: green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis and thermal energy storage. Energy storage is one option to making grids more flexible.
Fossil fuels are one of the most familiar examples of storing energy in chemical bonds. Energy is released when the bonds in chemical compounds, like petroleum, coal, and natural gas, are broken. But energy is also stored in other chemical forms, including biomass like wood, gases such as hydrogen and methane, and batteries.
Electricity storage is one of the three key ways to replace flexibility from fossil fuels in the grid. Other options are demand-side response, in which consumers change when they use electricity or how much they use. For instance, households may have cheaper night tariffs to encourage them to use electricity at night.
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