Battery Storage systems can connect to any method of electrical generation and are charged up by any unused energy. They then store the energy in a similar way to a regular household rechargeable battery to be used at a later point in time to provide an instant source of electricity. The benefits are that energy is stored and not rejected or lost, it can be released at high use periods to reduce peak demands and the release of energy can be timed with high tariff periods to maximise returns. It is ‘clean’ energy and overall can increase the efficiencies of your energy scheme. This is a rapidly evolving technology with planned schemes having a wide range of storage capacities.

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Hydrogen energy storage is the process in which electrical power is converted into hydrogen created by renewables during periods of low energy demand via electrolysis. Electrolysis is the process of using an electrical current to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. The gas formed from electrolysis is a key interest for the hydrogen market because it aims to reduce fossil fuels in many combustion applications and has a much higher storage capacity than other energy storage systems. Moreover, hydrogen has the ability to be injected and blended into modern gas networks without the need to change the materials or the infrastructure of the pipework.

Pumped hydro energy systems use the raw natural power and energy of water to generate electricity to the grid. Pumped hydro power consist of facilities that store energy in the form of an elevated water mass. The water is withdrawn from an upper reservoir into a lower reservoir through pressure shafts and into water driven turbines. The water released from the reservoir produces kinetic energy and ultimately generates electricity via the turbines to provide power into the electricity network. The technology is proven effective but has limited potential as it is very dependent on suitable geography.

Thermal storage is a valuable technology which allows heat to be stored and then accessed at a later time. It is particularly useful in cogeneration and trigeneration schemes where heat is generated alongside electricity whereby the heat often needs to be rejected at times of low heat demand. Thermal storage can work alongside any heat generating technology to store heat until times of peak demand which assists in increased efficiency, flexibility and security to an energy scheme and whilst traditional methods have tended to use water there are some emerging phase change materials which bring the added benefits of smaller footprints, higher temperatures and the ability to be heated with electricity directly.