Energy storage around the world

February 19, 2015

Energy storage is finding a niche across the globe. With the cost of wind and solar on the decline, the amount of renewable energy requiring storage is on the rise, according to Clean Technica. Some experts predict that energy storage will grow into a trillion dollar industry because the ability to store power for later is an essential step phasing out fossil fuels. That's why it's no surprise to see new energy storage applications appear in countries around the world, especially those that have surpassed the United States in terms of renewable deployment. This worldwide interest in energy storage also reflects how important the technology is for the development of renewable energy in expanding markets from one end of the globe to the other.

Germany aims at 60 percent renewable energy
Philip Hiersemenzel, a representative from storage software developer Younicos, pointed out that Germany could meet up to 60 percent of its total energy needs with renewable energy, according to Renewable Energy World. The country has already made gains in optimizing current storage installations by integrating the technology with cutting-edge programs that guarantee an even distribution of electricity. However, achieving this level of energy efficiency requires that the nation invest in greater storage capacity. The resource also pointed out that the United States could operate on 80 percent renewables, buts lacks national energy storage policy and capacity necessary to achieve this level of efficiency.

Toshiba delivers emergency energy storage to Japan
Energy storage solutions are normally sought after as a means of shifting peak load demands - the ability to store energy for later alleviates the need for running costly plants during peak times of demand. However, the latest Toshiba energy storage solution to hit Japan is instead focused on disaster readiness. The company's new PV installations also act as a hydrogen fuel cell and can deliver power and resources to 300 people for up to a week, all on a single charge. This application demonstrates one of the many ways that problem solving with renewable energy can become simpler thanks to energy storage. Toshiba's latest hybrid PV also reminds us that energy storage has plenty of applications beyond contributing to the grid's peak load demand.

CALMAC helps a hospital shift peak load in South Africa
Morningside Hospital, a private health facility owned by Southern African hospital group Mediclinic, is now able to operate without running its chillers during costly peak load times. Instead, the hospital takes advantage of an IceBank® thermal storage solution from CALMAC to meet its energy needs, said Engineering News. During peak load times, ice that had been formed in the tanks overnight is used to cool the facility and give the building's chillers a break.

One advantage of IceBank® energy storage stressed by representatives of Airco, the contractors who installed the chiller system, was the fact that the system is built with a variable-speed drive. This feature allows the building's chillers and IceBank® systems to adjust performance on the fly if the building's cooling load suddenly shifts.

Storage benefits rural communities in Latin America
Many small, remote communities in Latin America have demonstrated how energy storage applications can benefit their local way of life, according to EES. Without access to a power grid, these villages were left with little recourse in terms of collecting and distributing renewable energy. The introduction of energy storage, however, fundamentally impacted the way the community was able to store solar power and use renewables at a later time.

The success of energy storage in this region could very well strengthen confidence in the technology across the continent.