MITEI's three-year Future of Energy Storage study explored the role that energy storage can play in fighting climate change and in the global adoption of clean energy grids. Replacing fossil fuel-based power generation with power generation from wind and solar resources is a key strategy for decarbonizing electricity.
What is the future of energy storage?
Storage enables electricity systems to remain in balance despite variations in wind and solar availability, allowing for cost-effective deep decarbonization while maintaining reliability. The Future of Energy Storage report is an essential analysis of this key component in decarbonizing our energy infrastructure and combating climate change.
What is the storage futures study?
This report is one in a series of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Storage Futures Study (SFS) publications. The SFS is a multiyear research project that explores the role and impact of energy storage in the evolution and operation of the U.S. power sector.
Where will energy storage be deployed?
energy storage technologies. Modeling for this study suggests that energy storage will be deployed predomi-nantly at the transmission level, with important additional applications within rban distribu-tion networks. Overall economic growth and, notably, the rapid adoption of air conditioning will be the chief drivers
What will residential energy storage look like in 2024?
In the realm of residential energy storage, projections for new installations in 2024 stand at 11GW/20.9GWh, reflecting a modest 5% and 11% increase. With the decline in both power and natural gas prices, observations from 2023 installations suggest a diminishing sense of urgency for residential installations.
Utility-scale Energy Storage: Forecasted for 2024, new installations are set to reach 55GW / 133.7GWh, reflecting a solid 33% and 38% increase. The decline in lithium prices has led to a corresponding reduction in the cost of energy storage systems, bolstering the economic feasibility of utility-scale energy storage and revitalizing tender markets.
Energy storage needs to become a political priority alongside renewables, without a parallel storage strategy and scaling up of market-ready energy storage technologies, the EU will be unable to achieve a net-zero power system, risking continued exposure to volatile fossil energy markets. We emphasise these key priorities for storage: