Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- About This Book
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Global Warming and Climate Change
- 2 Solar Power and Sustainable Energy Technologies and Their Impact on Global Economy
- 3 Overview of Solar Power System Technology
- 4 Solar Power System Economics
- 5 Long-Term Project Financing and Power Purchase Agreements
- 6 Solar Power Rebates, Financing, and Feed-In Tariffs Programs
- 7 Importance of Solar Power System Peak Power Performance and Solar Power System Hazard Mitigation
- 8 Solar Power System Econometric and Analytical Software Solution
- 9 Economics of Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Carbon Trading
- 10 The Smart Grid Systems Deployment and Economics
- 11 Environmental Design Considerations
- 12 Energy Storage Systems
- Appendix A Unit Conversion and Design Reference Tables
- Appendix B Energy Systems
- Appendix C Glossary of Solar Energy Power Terms
- Appendix D California Solar Initiative – PV Incentives
- Index
12 - Energy Storage Systems
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- About This Book
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Global Warming and Climate Change
- 2 Solar Power and Sustainable Energy Technologies and Their Impact on Global Economy
- 3 Overview of Solar Power System Technology
- 4 Solar Power System Economics
- 5 Long-Term Project Financing and Power Purchase Agreements
- 6 Solar Power Rebates, Financing, and Feed-In Tariffs Programs
- 7 Importance of Solar Power System Peak Power Performance and Solar Power System Hazard Mitigation
- 8 Solar Power System Econometric and Analytical Software Solution
- 9 Economics of Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Carbon Trading
- 10 The Smart Grid Systems Deployment and Economics
- 11 Environmental Design Considerations
- 12 Energy Storage Systems
- Appendix A Unit Conversion and Design Reference Tables
- Appendix B Energy Systems
- Appendix C Glossary of Solar Energy Power Terms
- Appendix D California Solar Initiative – PV Incentives
- Index
Summary
Introduction
Perhaps one of the most significant technical challenges facing renewable energy systems is development and deployment of large-scale energy storage. Presently all types of renewable energy sources generated by wind, solar, oceanic current, and tidal energy are harvested only during limited hours of each day. For instance, as discussed in the first chapter of this book, solar photovoltaic power is only generated during solar insolation periods, which average a few hours per day. Likewise, wind energy production, because of the unpredictable nature of wind streams and turbulence, is unpredictable, whereas use or demand of electrical power requires availability of 24 hours a day. Therefore, storage and availability of uninterruptible and consistent electrical power generation can be considered as one of the most important challenges and obstacles that must be overcome.
In general, large energy storage systems fall into the following main four categories:
Mechanical technologies – Compressed air, flywheel, and pumped storage hydroelectric systems
Electrochemical process – Batteries and charge capacitor systems
Thermal process – Molten salt and solar ponds
Chemical process – Hydrogen generation
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Large-Scale Solar Power SystemsConstruction and Economics, pp. 235 - 270Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012