Why is Energy Storage Important in Electrical Grid Systems?
From the moment where electric power is formed to where it is consumed, there is a complex process of generation, transmission, and distribution. This crucial system works to keep the balance between the demand and supply equal at all times. There are constant changes in the amount of demand since this dynamic aspect is totally dependent on a variety of factors from human activity to unexpected weather conditions. That’s why, in order to maintain the balance throughout these fluctuations, the vital role of energy storage becomes the reason for a fluid and reliable energy grid system.
Energy storage solutions can be used in two major ways – to salvage excess supply during low demand for later use and to supply stored energy during low supply with high demand. The availability of stored electrical energy is extremely valuable in urgent high demand situations due to its rapid response since most power generation sources tend to take longer to ramp up the energy output. All of these benefits help to uniformly match the needs and features of supply as well as demand in any grid system.
This energy storage can be carried out through a variety of processes. Most commonly, electricity is generated in utility grids that do not store energy but instead seek assistance from additional plants to increase or decrease supply based on the demand which is not ideal since it tends to burn additional fossil fuel. However, with the new wave of cleaner energy solutions from natural renewable sources like wind and solar, the need for energy storage has become more necessary therefore increasing efficiency in those utility grids. This is because solar and wind energy are intermittent sources meaning that they are not available 24×7 and therefore will be generated, consumed, and stored for later use all at the same time.
