How to understand long-term energy storage

What is long-duration energy storage?

There is no single definition for long-duration energy storage, or LDES, in the energy community. For some, it refers to storage systems that can provide at least 10 hours of stored energy. For others, it refers to storage systems that have enough stored energy to provide firm capacity to the grid.

What does energy storage mean?

For some, it refers to storage systems that can provide at least 10 hours of stored energy. For others, it refers to storage systems that have enough stored energy to provide firm capacity to the grid. Our understanding of the energy system is ever changing.

Can long-duration energy storage transform energy systems?

In a new paper published in Nature Energy, Sepulveda, Mallapragada, and colleagues from MIT and Princeton University offer a comprehensive cost and performance evaluation of the role of long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies in transforming energy systems.

Can low-cost long-duration energy storage make a big impact?

Exploring different scenarios and variables in the storage design space, researchers find the parameter combinations for innovative, low-cost long-duration energy storage to potentially make a large impact in a more affordable and reliable energy transition.

How long does an energy storage system last?

While energy storage technologies are often defined in terms of duration (i.e., a four-hour battery), a system’s duration varies at the rate at which it is discharged. A system rated at 1 MW/4 MWh, for example, may only last for four hours or fewer when discharged at its maximum power rating.

Why is energy storage important?

By storing that excess power, we can ensure that our electricity grid can keep up with changing demand, whenever and wherever it arises—and that a cloudy day without much of a breeze doesn’t leave anyone’s home in the dark. Advancing energy storage is critical to our goals for the clean energy transition.