ABB Energy Storage_Nov2012.pdfVIP

Energy Storage Keeping smart grids in balance Overview brochure 2 Reliable power, where and when it’s needed | Energy Storage Reliable power, where and when it’s needed Energy storage is not a new concept in itself. It has been an integral component of electricity generation, transmission and distribution systems for well over a century. Traditionally, energy storage needs have been met by the physical storage of fuel for fossil-fuelled power plants, by keeping some capacity in reserve and through large scale pumped hydro storage plants. But now the power landscape is changing dramatically with a move to ‘fuel-free’ power, mainly in the form of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). This shift to renewable sources is good for the environment and sustainability. However, it also makes delivering power reliably where and when it’s needed a bigger challenge than ever before. Since there is no fuel to store, the grid must adapt to store electrical energy efficiently after it is generated. Wind and solar power installations generate power only intermittently and with a highly variable output. Furthermore, unlike a traditional centralized generation plant, these new sources may be located anywhere on the grid, perhaps close to the load centers they serve, dispersed across the network, or even in remote locations far offshore or in deserts. Such fundamental changes in the architecture and controllability of the grid call for smart, efficient power transmission and distribution networks. And they require the storage of energy at appropriate times and locations – both to balance the ‘ebb and flow’ between generation and consumption and also to maintain grid stability. Increasing the use of traditional methods of building storage capacity into the grid – fossil-fuelled peaking plants or providing spinning reserve – would reduce the very environmental benefits that renewable power sources are intended to bring. That’s why energy storage is becomi