Characteristics and Technologies for Long- vs. Short-Term Energy Storage: A Study by the DOE Energy Storage Systems Program

Abstract

This report describes the results of a study on stationary energy storage technologies for a range of applications that were categorized according to storage duration (discharge time): long or short. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Energy Storage Systems Program. A wide variety of storage technologies were analyzed according to performance capabilities, cost projects, and readiness to serve these many applications, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are presented. AcknowledgmentThe author and Sandia National Laboratories wish to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy and specifically the Energy Storage Systems Program for support of this project. Some conclusions from this study include:− Flywheels are a good match for a range of shortterm applications up to a size of several MW. − Batteries currently have the broadest overall range of applications. − Fuel cells should be applicable and cost effective in a very broad range of applications in the future. − Hydrogen -fueled combustion engines are a currently available technology for short-term applications including distributed utility applications, renewables matching, and spinning reserve. − CAES and pumped hydro are best for load management when geology is available and response time in the order of minutes is acceptable. − SMES is a niche technology for power quality and especially high power distribution or transmission networks. Projected costs for bulk storage, however, show it to be expensive.

Determining the cost of dynamic control capacity for improving system efficiency

“…3) are: Alternative A-fast valving in generator 1; Alternative B-an a priori limited power transfer in line 1-2 during normal operation of an amount that would not cause transient instability in the case of line failure 1 ; Alternative C-novel high-gain control of generator excitation (such as FBLC-ODSS [12], or others [13]); Alternative D-high-gain controllers of transmission line flows (FACTS devices [14]); and Alternative E-FACTS + energy storage (ES) devices, an example being superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) [15] [16] [17] [18].…”

Improved Accounting of Emissions from Utility Energy Storage System Operation

“…Compressed-air energy storage (CAES) is among the most economical energy storage technologies available for largescale deployment (4,5). CAES systems are based on conventional gas-turbine technology and utilize the elastic potential energy of compressed air.…”

Exergy and Exergoeconomic Model of a Ground-Based CAES Plant for Peak-Load Energy Production

“…Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and Pumped Hydro Energy Storage, air and water being the most inexpensive fluids, are likely to be the most reliable and technologically sound options for massive energy storage [1,2], even if other alternatives are proposed [3].…”