How Is An Energy Storage System Going To Help You

How Is An Energy Storage System Going To Help You

• Posted on
• 22 Jan 2021

The National Electricity Market (NEM) is a complex system. In this grid, the power supply and demand need to be balanced every moment. For expected changes in demand, the supply needs constant adjustments. Examples of predictable changes include – storms, daily patterns of human activity, unexpected changes from equipment overloads, etc. The energy storage system has a crucial role to play in this act of balancing. It will help in creating a more flexible and reliable grid system.

The following passages can help you get a better idea of how a solar energy storage system works. So, keep on reading.

How an Energy Storage System Works

As we move towards a higher penetration of VRE in the NEM we see a change in trends with supply and demand of energy in the network. Due to the high amounts of rooftop solar on Australian roofs, there is increasingly lower amounts of demand during the day while the sun is shining. When the sun goes down in the afternoon demand resumes normal values for the late afternoon peak, forming a demand curve known as a ‘duck curve’ in the industry due to its shape. This causes a unique challenge due to the difference in supply required from the middle of the day vs peak afternoon periods. This is further exacerbated by a lack of solar in the late afternoon further pressuring the issue. Thus excess electricity can be generated during the middle of the day in low demand periods that can be used to power storage devices. Later on, when the demand is greater than supply; storage facilities will supply the stored energy to the grid.

In the past decades, pumping the water back up hydroelectric dams has been used as a form of storage. It absorbs the excess capacity from the grid and supplies it to the grid later when it is required. In the future, with the emergence of more storage technology options and when Australia transitions to a cleaner energy economy, energy storage is going to play even a more significant role.

Now, let us take a look at different ways it can benefit you.

Cost Savings

Much in the same way that it performs in the grid, energy storage for your home or commercial premises can store excess solar generation during the day and discharge it during the evening during peak periods. This assists in reducing operational costs by reducing consumption in peak periods where electricity prices are typically highest

Improve Consistency & Flexibility

Energy storage can supply backup power at time of disruptions. Energy storage systems can ensure that there is uninterrupted supply of power to certain loads for commercial and residential customers even in the event of a grid failure. In some cases this can even be configured to provide backup for several days in the event of an extended blackout. In the NEM batteries also provide support services in order to maintain the stability of the network, they can do this through Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS).

Incorporate Different Resources

In a net zero carbon world, energy storage will become increasingly necessary to smooth out the supply of VRE generators. They will be crucial in preserving excess energy when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing and then discharging when the opposite is occurring.