Things I read Week 4'25
Articles
Giant Batteries Transforming the world’s electrical grids
The rapid growth of large-scale energy storage is driven by plunging battery prices, rising electricity demand and a recognition among operators, utilities and public officials that grids are less reliable than they once were.
Global prices for large-scale energy storage systems have plunged 73% since 2017, according to BNEF.
A surging economy there is straining electricity supplies, and when the summer heat arrives, grid managers need every possible energy resource, says Woody Rickerson, chief operating officer at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state’s grid. The new storage capacity proved its worth last summer, when a series of heat waves brought triple-digit temperatures to much of the state and kept them high even at night.
Now the test lies in extending the number of hours batteries can operate. Extreme weather can cripple grids for days. Companies are racing to develop batteries that can last as long, using chemistries quite different from lithium-ion.
Eos Energy Enterprises Inc., based in New Jersey, offers a zinc-based battery that can supply power for as long as 16 hours. Form Energy Inc. makes an iron-air battery that can discharge for 100 hours straight.
This could be a potential solution to load shedding problem during summer
Bangladesh had 1700MW shortfall in electricity last year - high amount of load-shedding during summer
Giant batteries could potentially help by storing excess solar power & releasing it during peak demand
Global energy storage prices have plunged 73% since 2017, however there might still be a significant upfront infrastructure cost of set up
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