Energy storage is vital for modern life, as many businesses depend on batteries to power tools, lighting, and equipment at job sites. When shore power isn’t available, battery storage ensures consistent operations in industrial and commercial projects. Let’s explore how this works.
What Is Energy & How Is It Stored?
Energy is the ability to do work and exists in two main forms: kinetic and potential energy.
For instance, a rolling rock has kinetic energy from its motion, while a rock at the edge of a hill has potential energy due to its ability to roll.
Electric energy is considered kinetic because it is always in motion but can be converted into other stored forms of energy.
Similarly, water behind a dam represents stored potential gravitational energy.
Can You Store Electrical Energy?
No, you cannot store electricity directly, but it can be converted into storable forms. This energy can later be converted back to electricity. Electrical energy storage methods include flywheels (mechanical), elevated water or weights (gravitational), compressed air (potential), capacitors (electrical charge), and the most common: batteries (chemical).
What Is A Battery?
A battery is a storage device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. It contains one or more electrochemical cells where chemical reactions create a flow of electrons, providing the electric current needed to perform work.
Batteries function as electron pumps, featuring a positive side (cathode), a negative side (anode), and an electrolyte that reacts chemically with them.
While this process is common across all batteries, different types store energy in unique ways.
Common Battery Types & How They Store Energy
For industrial and commercial use, there are two main types of rechargeable battery energy storage, which differ in performance.
Lead-Acid Batteries
Lead-acid batteries, over 170 years old, are one of the oldest rechargeable battery types.
Each 12-volt battery consists of six cells with a mixture of sulfuric acid and water, featuring a positive terminal (cathode) and a negative terminal (anode).
When discharged, sulfuric acid breaks down into water, releasing electrons for electricity generation. The chemical reaction at the negative plate is: Pb(s) + HSO−4(aq) → PbSO4(s) + H+(aq) + 2e−
During recharging, energy rebuilds the acid molecules for future use.
While reliable and widely used, lead-acid batteries have limitations; repeated discharge-recharge cycles can shorten their lifespan due to active material degradation.
Lithium-Ion Batteries
Earlier, we talked about cathodes and anodes in batteries. They can store lithium ions, and energy is stored and released as the ions move from cathode to anode through the electrolyte.
Unlike lead-acid batteries that use the same chemical reaction, lithium-ion batteries come in various chemistries. The top 6 types include Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO), Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO), Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC), Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA), Lithium Titanate (LTO), and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).
Lithium batteries are energy-dense, smaller, lighter, charge faster, and have a longer lifespan compared to lead-acid batteries.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries specifically are known for their long lifespan and heat tolerance, making them safer and more durable.
The Benefits Of Battery Energy Storage
Benefits of a Flexible Clean Energy Grid
The deployment of energy storage is accelerating due to its ability to enhance grid flexibility, provide multiple services, and be applied across various applications.
Storage systems can be integrated into the electricity grid – from transmission networks to residential buildings.
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar have variable outputs; thus, storage technologies can stabilize electricity supply by matching generation with demand.
By charging during times of excess generation and discharging during peak demand, energy storage maximizes renewable use and minimizes waste. Residential battery systems help utilities match customer demand with variable power supplies.
Storage also aids in responding to sudden changes in electricity needs, ensuring grid stability more quickly than conventional power plants. It’s particularly important for rural areas or isolated microgrids that rely on local energy solutions to avoid blackouts.
Community Benefits
Energy storage can improve access and provide advantages for low-income communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. It can replace fossil fuel peaker plants – often located in vulnerable neighborhoods that exacerbate air quality issues during high-demand periods like heat waves.
With battery storage being cheaper than gas turbines, the transition from peakers will accelerate.
Additionally, energy storage helps customers avoid peak pricing by leveling out demand spikes similar to rideshare cost surges during holidays. It enhances community resilience by meeting peak demands without straining the grid or causing price spikes during extreme weather.
By integrating renewable-generated power into localized microgrids or resiliency hubs, communities gain backup energy supply during natural disasters while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
Záver
Many people first use batteries in RVing or boating, where reliable, safe energy storage is essential for comfort. Batteries store energy for conversion to electricity, enhancing our lives and providing freedom. This power is synonymous with freedom itself.
