Should energy storage be more than 4 hours of capacity?

However, there is growing interest in the deployment of energy storage with greater than 4 hours of capacity, which has been identified as potentially playing an important role in helping integrate larger amounts of renewable energy and achieving heavily decarbonized grids.1,2,3

What is the storage futures study?

The Storage Futures Study series provides data and analysis in support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge, a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.

Will a 4 hour solar system increase storage capacity during summer peaks?

Overall, while continued deployment of solar can maintain the ability of 4-hour storage to provide significant capacity during summer peaks, this solar deployment will also accelerate the shift to net winter peaks in much of the country. This then will likely drive the decline in capacity value of 4-hour storage and incentivize longer durations.

Can 4 hour storage meet peak demand?

The ability of 4-hour storage to meet peak demand during the summer is further enhanced with greater deployments of solar energy. However, the addition of solar, plus changing weather and electrification of building heating, may lead to a shift to net winter demand peaks, which are often longer than can be effectively served by 4-hour storage.

Why should energy storage be a long-duration option?

Provision of additional services such as transmission congestion relief and resilience could also increase opportunities for longer-duration storage. Several storage technology options have the potential to achieve lower per-unit of energy storage costs and longer service lifetimes.

Can stationary storage move past 4 hours?

To understand the potential opportunities for moving past 4 hours, we first explore why 4 hours or less has provided the majority of the market for stationary storage in the past decade. The United States has about 23 GW of pumped storage hydropower (PSH), largely completed before 2000 (and most of these plants have 8 hours or more of storage).