4 Part Energy Storage Study

What’s the deal? National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched its Storage Futures to create a framework for a “dramatic increase in deployment” and “answer the big questions around the role of storage in our future grid.”

Why is this important? Report 1 of 4 covers deployment and breaks battery storage into 4 categories that can help jurisdictions adopt battery storage.

• Units that function as operating reserves and last about an hour fall under phase 1
• Phase 2: devices that help with peaking capacity and last 2-6 hours
• Phase 3: includes daytime capacity and energy-time shifting units that last 4 to 12 hours
• Phase 4: multi-day or seasonal capabilities as well as energy-time shifting potential in storage units that last 12 hours or longer.

How will this be important? Physical scientists, utilities, and policy makers could find common terms to use when discussing the evolution of the grid.

Utility Dive | DOE lab aims to answer the ‘big questions’ about storage and help dramatically increase deployment