![]() Electrical energy is used to pump water uphill into a reservoir when energy demand is low. Pumped-storage hydropower is an energy storage technology based on water. More information on other types of storage is below. Other types of storage, such as compressed air storage and flywheels, may have different characteristics, such as very fast discharge or very large capacity, that make them attractive to grid operators. But the storage technologies most frequently coupled with solar power plants are electrochemical storage (batteries) with PV plants and thermal storage (fluids) with CSP plants. The most common type of energy storage in the power grid is pumped hydropower. Solar and storage can also be used for microgrids and smaller-scale applications, like mobile or portable power units. They can keep critical facilities operating to ensure continuous essential services, like communications. Providing resilience – Solar and storage can provide backup power during an electrical disruption.For example, a small battery can be used to ride through a brief generation disruption from a passing cloud, helping the grid maintain a “firm” electrical supply that is reliable and consistent. “Firming” solar generation – Short-term storage can ensure that quick changes in generation don’t greatly affect the output of a solar power plant.In this way, storage acts as an insurance policy for sunshine. When some of the electricity produced by the sun is put into storage, that electricity can be used whenever grid operators need it, including after the sun has set. Enter storage, which can be filled or charged when generation is high and power consumption is low, then dispensed when the load or demand is high. Conversely, there may be other times, after sunset or on cloudy days, when there is little solar production but plenty of demand for power. Balancing electricity loads – Without storage, electricity must be generated and consumed at the same time, which may mean that grid operators take some generation offline, or “curtail” it, to avoid over-generation and grid reliability issues.Advantages of Combining Storage and Solar Short-term storage that lasts just a few minutes will ensure a solar plant operates smoothly during output fluctuations due to passing clouds, while longer-term storage can help provide supply over days or weeks when solar energy production is low or during a major weather event, for example. Different energy and power capacities of storage can be used to manage different tasks. Storage facilities differ in both energy capacity, which is the total amount of energy that can be stored (usually in kilowatt-hours or megawatt-hours), and power capacity, which is the amount of energy that can be released at a given time (usually in kilowatts or megawatts). So, storage can increase system efficiency and resilience, and it can improve power quality by matching supply and demand. Although using energy storage is never 100% efficient-some energy is always lost in converting energy and retrieving it-storage allows the flexible use of energy at different times from when it was generated. Lithium-ion batteries are one such technology. “Storage” refers to technologies that can capture electricity, store it as another form of energy (chemical, thermal, mechanical), and then release it for use when it is needed. Sometimes energy storage is co-located with, or placed next to, a solar energy system, and sometimes the storage system stands alone, but in either configuration, it can help more effectively integrate solar into the energy landscape. Solar energy production can be affected by season, time of day, clouds, dust, haze, or obstructions like shadows, rain, snow, and dirt. These variations are attributable to changes in the amount of sunlight that shines onto photovoltaic (PV) panels or concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems. It can also help smooth out variations in how solar energy flows on the grid. Storage helps solar contribute to the electricity supply even when the sun isn’t shining. Temperatures can be hottest during these times, and people who work daytime hours get home and begin using electricity to cool their homes, cook, and run appliances. Peak power usage often occurs on summer afternoons and evenings, when solar energy generation is falling. The reason: Solar energy is not always produced at the time energy is needed most. Coupling solar energy and storage technologies is one such case.
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