The purpose of grid-scale energy storage: instantaneous response to balance supply and demand
Large-scale energy storage systems allow for electrical energy to be stored on a national scale within a power grid. Therefore, the term grid-scale storage refers to systems used for instantaneous response to balance supply and demand in a power system.
Grid-scale energy storage is used when:
- generation sources are facing the challenge of unexpected over- or undersupply,
- suppliers are facing the challenge of unexpected demand peaks or shortfalls.
Conventional and advanced large-scale energy storage
Forms of large-scale energy storage include conventional and advanced systems.
Conventional large-scale storage is used to store energy in the form of hydro energy for its later conversion into electricity.
Advanced large-scale storage is used to store energy in batteries, in a chemical form.
The importance of system balancing
The power system relies on balancing, a process in which coordination of generation and demand, as well as of grid-scale energy storage is indispensable. Adequate system balancing is a prerequisite forsecurity of supply.
