Long duration storage batteries are becoming critical, in the move to environmentally friendly electricity. The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, lists several varieties of these batteries, including longer-lasting vanadium, organic, and iron flow chemistries. At the end of the day though, this post is about how we store renewable energy until we need it.
Why Migrate to Long Duration Storage Batteries?
Current battery storage faces several challenges. These boil down to storing more energy for longer periods, and releasing it gradually over time. Having the right blend will enable us to store more renewable energy for longer, and perhaps someday allow it to replace some power stations too.
But long duration storage batteries could have a broader role than that. Here we imagine them supporting critical applications like hospitals and schools during natural disasters, when grid distribution cables are down.
But another of their roles is ensuring grid stability remarks Chris Mentis, from University of New South Wales. This facility is becoming increasingly essential, if we plan to use wind and solar energy around the clock.
“Overall, what’s becoming clear is that we need to be able to store more energy, that can then deliver electricity for a longer period of time. What’s increasingly important is for those systems to have 8, 10 and even 12-hours of storage.”
More About Storing Energy for Longer Periods
There is not, however, a single solution to this need, Chris Mentis continues. There are different needs and solutions The following options could be complimentary, and operate in tandem too:
- Vanadium flow batteries with increased power and scaleable capacity.
- More affordable Iron flow batteries with less density and larger footprints.
- Organic flow batteries that may provide a cheaper non-toxic solution.
We’ll discuss these three options further in our next post, as we welcome you back to our blog.
More Information
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