1. – a system-wide service
Storage
– a system-wide service

2. “Elon Musk hails 'crazy' response to Tesla battery launch” (Guardian, 6 May 2015)

3. Storage – what its not …. all about electricity and batteries
…. an end in its own right
…. something new

4. It’ called fire – it recycles wood!

5. Why is storage so topical again ?
Decarbonisation - all agree on need to reduce carbon emissions
… but carbon is major source of energy storage
Oil (petrol and diesel)
Coal
Gas
This provides system resilience and flexibility
Unintended consequences of decarbonisation
Intermittency/security of supply
‘Range anxiety’

6. Replacing carbon storage – questions
What are we trying to achieve?
How much are we willing to pay?
What services are needed
What role can it play in balancing supply and demand?
Impact of electrification of heat and transport?

7. What are we trying to achieve?
Time shift – across the day and the seasons
Location shift – mobility
Sector shift – heat, transport and electricity

8. What are we trying to achieve? – storage characteristics
Energy (kWh)
Power (kW)
Duration (h)
One or two-way
Charging/Discharging rates
Charging cycles
Weight/volume

9. What are we trying to achieve? – EnergyOR
1,000,000,000,000 Wh
1 Wh

10. How much are we willing to pay?OR
£ £0.01/kWh
£100 –
£1,000/kWh

11. Storage technology characteristics

12. Managing variable production
January
December

13. Necessary
storage
capacity
~ 45 days
January
December

14. Balancing demand - the impact of heat

15. Seasonal gas storage

16. Current storage comparison
System
Transport
(car tanks)
Gas
Coal
Heat
Electricity
(Pumped storage)
Storage (GWh)
10,000
60,000
30,000 65 27
Cost (£/MWh)
80 - 8,000
>60,000

17. Current electricity sector examples:
Storage used for:
Current market
Grid services (eg fast reserve)
£150m.pa (ca. £35/kW.pa)
Capacity/Back-up
Currently £19.40/kW.pa (limited to £75)
Constraint avoidance
£0.15/kWh (limited volume)
Arbitrage
Limited volume (£ £0.10/kWh)
Grid services - a limited market (£100m’s)
Capacity - large quantum, but must be low/competitive cost
Constraint payments - naturally volume and time limited
Arbitrage - naturally limited

18. Seasonal storage – probably the biggest challenge
In the short to mid-term, natural gas can still provide capacity
Other solutions must displace this (all year round), otherwise just an extra cost