We advance our society by reducing the effort of doing something, so there is more of it to go around. So say Graham Elliott and Shirley Meng after studying battery economics recycling and grid policies. They applied a blend of physical and social sciences to predict the roll out of batteries as grid partners.
Grid Policies Dictated By Economics, Not Recycling
Elliott and Meng confirmed that selected batteries have ‘great potential’ from an engineering perspective. However, their economic advantages are not always clear. They ascribe this to some grid operating policies which they imply require updating.
For this reason, rapid advances in battery technology and falling costs may not receive the recognition they need. Grid policy makers have the final say on how rapidly, and effectively they adopt battery energy storage systems.
Battery makers therefore need to motivate more strongly how and where battery economics, recycling and grid policies should come together. For example, Elliott and Meng suggest a particular battery recycling method may tip the scales for a specific battery technology.
More Considerations Before Incorporating Batteries in Grids
The report features on the website of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences (see link below). The team continues by explaining the current situation in which some grids find themselves.
- Many grid systems are aging, and supplying energy at high environmental cost in terms of carbon. From a social perspective, this should open the door to more cleaner renewables. However, we are still nowhere near storage batteries being dominant.
- Grid energy storage is still a challenge from a technical and economic perspective. But batteries are none the less playing an important role in grid balancing and other services. They also have the potential to lower sent-energy prices for households and businesses.
This work highlights the tension between energy cost and environmental impact. It is becoming increasingly evident that consumers will only choose renewable energy when it is lighter on their pockets.
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