You are here

Home » Services » Technology Development

Energy Storage

One of the distinctive characteristics of the electric power sector is that the amount of electricity that can be generated is relatively fixed over short periods of time, although demand for electricity fluctuates throughout the day. Developing technology to store electrical energy so it can be available to meet demand whenever needed would represent a major breakthrough in electricity distribution. Helping to try and meet this goal, electricity storage devices can manage the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is greatest, which is during peak load. These devices can also help make renewable energy, whose power output cannot be controlled by grid operators, smooth and dispatchable.

They can also balance microgrids to achieve a good match between generation and load. Storage devices can provide frequency regulation to maintain the balance between the network's load and power generated, and they can achieve a more reliable power supply for high tech industrial facilities. Thus, energy storage and power electronics hold substantial promise for transforming the electric power industry. There are several DOE sponsored energy storage projects underway.

High voltage power electronics, such as switches, inverters, and controllers, allow electric power to be precisely and rapidly controlled to support long distance transmission. This capability will allow the system to respond effectively to disturbances and to operate more efficiently, thereby reducing the need for additional infrastructure. A major challenge being addressed by DOE, is to reduce the cost of energy storage technology and power electronics and to accelerate market acceptance. More Information on Energy Storage>

WHAT'S NEW IN ENERGY STORAGE

December 19, 2011: WEBINAR PRESENTATION
The State-Federal RPS Collaborative and the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) hosted a webinar to explore the role of energy storage in state RPS, including the integration of an increasingly higher penetration of renewables and energy storage as a generation resource. Guest speakers included Dr. Imre Gyuk of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

The presentations are now available for download.

April 1, 2011: REPORTS
The Department of Energy has released a program planning document that describes how OE is leading efforts to ensure that energy technologies live up to their potential, discusses the analysis, research and development and demonstration program, and provides program milestones.

OE Energy Storage Program Planning Document

The Department of Energy has also released two reports that are based on workshops conducted in July 2010 to receive industry guidance on the development of the DOE Energy Storage Program. The Materials workshop, jointly sponsored by OE and ARPA-E, convened leading researchers and manufacturers in the grid storage field. The workshop on Power Industry Needs, jointly sponsored by OE and the EERE Photo-voltaic program, brought together utility representatives and renewable resources developers.

Advanced Materials and Devices for Stationary Electrical Energy Storage Applications. 
Electric Power Industry Needs for Grid-Scale Storage Applications. 

2010 Energy Storage Peer Review

The Energy Storage Program held their 2010 Conference in Washington DC on November 2-4 where the program’s research and development projects were presented and reviewed. View project presentations >

Publications
 

Related Links