Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction 1 Section 2 Energy storage technologies 3 2. Mechanical storage 3 2. Pumped hydro storage 3 2. Compressed air energy. Pumped storage machines Reversible pump turbines, Ternary sets and Motorgenerators. Tldr Storage of electricity in large quantities is reaching an inflection point, poised to give a big boost to renewables, to disrupt business models across the. Hydraulic Turbines and Hydroelectric Power Plants 1. Hydraulic turbines Fundamental operating parameters Classification Impulse turbines. The following page lists all pumpedstorage hydroelectric power stations that are larger than 1,000 MW in installed generating capacity, which are currently. Why Energy Storage is About to Get Big and Cheap Ramez Naamtl dr Storage of electricity in large quantities is reaching an inflection point, poised to give a big boost to renewables, to disrupt business models across the electrical industry, and to tap into a market that will eventually top many of tens of billions of dollars per year, and trillions of dollars cumulatively over the coming decades. Update As a follow on to this post, I run the numbers on how cheap can energy storage get And the answer is Quite cheap, indeed. Siin Me Oleme there. The Energy Storage Virtuous Cycle. So just how do we get electricity from water Actually, hydroelectric and coalfired power plants produce electricity in a similar way. In both cases a power source. Ive been writing about exponential decline in the price of energy storage since I was researching The Infinite Resource. Recently, though, I delivered a talk to the executives of a large energy company, the preparation of which forced me to crystallize my thinking on recent developments in the energy storage market. Energy storage is hitting an inflection point sooner than I expected, going from being a novelty, to being suddenly economically extremely sensible. That, in turn, is kicking off a virtuous cycle of new markets opening, new scale, further declining costs, and additional markets opening. To elaborate Three things are happening which feed off of each other. The Price of Energy Storage Technology is Plummeting. Indeed, while high compared to grid electricity, the price of energy storage has been plummeting for twenty years. And it looks likely to continue. Cheaper Storage is on the Verge of Massively Expanding the Market. Battery storage and next generation compressed air are right on the edge of the prices where it becomes profitable to arbitrage shifting electricity prices filling up batteries with cheap power from night time sources, abundant wind or solar, or other, and using that stored energy rather than peak priced electricity from natural gas peakers. This arbitrage can happen at either the grid edge the home or business or as part of the grid itself. Either way, it taps into a market of potentially 1. MWh in the US alone. A Larger Market Drives Down the Cost of Energy Storage. Batteries and other storage technologies have learning curves. Increased production leads to lower prices. Expanding the scale of the storage industry pushes forward on these curves, dropping the price. Which in turn taps into yet larger markets. Lets look at all three of these in turn. The Price of Energy Storage is Plummeting. Lithium Ion. Lithium ion batteries have been seeing rapidly declining prices for more than 2. Renewable-Energy-Storage-Methods-Pumped-Hydro-Storage-system_thumb1.jpg' alt='Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' title='Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' />A widely reported study at Nature Climate Change finds that, since 2. The authors estimate that EV batteries in 2. Its now in the realm of possibility that well see 1. Teslas gigafactory will push into sufficient scale to achieve that. And the electric car market, in turn, is making large format lithium ion batteries cheaper for grid use. What Really Matters is LCOE the Cost of Electricity. Now lets digress and talk about price. HRW/Volume-23/Issue6/goldisthal_pumped-storage_power_plant_Source_Vattenfall.jpg' alt='Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' title='Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' />Learn about all Exelon Generation major locations, energy generation sites, energy types in the Exelon fleet, and communities the company serves. Pumpedstorage hydroelectricity PSH, or pumped hydroelectric energy storage PHES, is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for. The prices weve just been talking about are capital costs. Those are the costs of the equipment. But how does that translate into the cost of electricity What really matters when we talk about energy storage for electricity that can be used in homes and buildings is the impact on Levelized Cost of Electricity LCOE that the battery imposes. In other words, if I put a kwh of electricity into the battery, and then pull a kwh of electricity out, over the lifetime of the battery and including maintenance costs, installation costs, and all the rest, what did that cost meTraditional lithium ion batteries begin to degrade after a few hundred cycles of fully charging and fully discharging, or 1,0. So naively wed take the capital cost of the battery and divide it by 1,0. LCOE. However, we also have to factor in that some electricity is lost due to less than 1. Li ion is perhaps 9. This multiplies our effective cost by 1. So wed estimate that at the following battery prices wed get the following effective LCOEs 3. All of those battery costs, by the way, are functions of what the ultimate buyer pays, including installation and maintenance. For comparison, wholesale grid electricity in the US at baseload hours in the middle of the night averages 6 7 cents kwh. And retail electricity rates around the US average around 1. You can see why, at the several hundred dollars kwh prices of several years ago, battery storage was a non starter. On the Horizon Flow Batteries, Compressed Air. Right now, most of the talk about energy storage is about lithium ion, and specifically about Tesla, who appear close to announcing a new home battery product at what appears to be a price of around 3. Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' title='Pumped Storage Plants Pdf' />But there are other technologies that may be ultimately more suitable for grid energy storage than lithium ion. Lithium ion is compact and light. Its great for mobile applications. But heavier, bulkier storage technologies that last for more cycles will be long term cheaper. Two come to mind 1. Flow Batteries, just starting to come to market, can theoretically operate for 5,0. In some cases they can operate for 1. In addition, the electrolyte in a flow battery is a liquid that can be replaced, refurbishing the battery at a fraction of the cost of installing a new one. Compressed Air Energy Storage, like Light. Sail Energys, uses physical components that are likewise rated for 1. Capital costs for these technologies are likely to be broadly similar to lithium ion costs over the long term and at similar scale. Most flow battery companies have 1. ARPA E has used 1. And because a flow battery or compressed air system lasts for so many more cycles, the overall cost of electricity is likely to be many times lower. How low At this point, other variables begin to dominate the equation The cost of capital borrowing or opportunity cost management and maintenance costs siting costs. DOEs 2. 01. 3 energy storage roadmap lists 2. LCOE as the short term goal. It articulates 1. LCOE as the long term goal. At least one flow battery company, Ener. Vault, claims that it is well below the DOE targets presumably the short term target of 2. Update Im informed that Ener. Vault has run into financial difficulties, a reminder that the storage market, like the solar market before it, will likely be fiercely Darwinian. In solar, the large majority of manufacturers went out of business, even as prices plunged by nearly 9. We should expect the same in batteries. The large majority of energy storage technology companies will go out of business, even as prices drop or perhaps because of plunging prices in the decade ahead. Getting back to fundamentals In the long run, given the advantage of long life, if flow batteries or compressed air see the kind of growth that lithium ion has seen, and thus the cost benefits of scale and learning curve, its conceivable that a 1. LCOE of 2 4 cents kwh of electricity stored. Of course, neither flow batteries nor compressed air are as commercially proven as lithium ion. Im sure many will be skeptical of them, though 2. Come back in a year, and lets see. Storage is on the Verge of Opening Vast New Markets. Now lets turn away from the technology and towards the economics that make it appealing. Lets start with the simplest to understand in the home. A. Fill When Cheap, Drain When Pricey Time of Use ArbitrageThe US is increasingly going to time of use charges for electricity. List of pumped storage hydroelectric power stations. The following page lists all pumped storage hydroelectric power stations that are larger than 1,0. MW in installed generating capacity, which are currently operational or under construction. Those power stations that are smaller than 1,0. MW, and those that are decommissioned or only at a planningproposal stage may be found in regional lists, listed at the end of the page. Pumped storage hydroelectric power stationsedit. The upper reservoir of the Markersbach PSPS. Dam of Siah Bishe Pumped Storage Power Plant. The table below lists currently operational power stations. Some of these may have additional units under construction, but only current installed capacity is listed. Station. Country. Location. Capacity MWRef. Bath County Pumped Storage Station United States. N7. 94. 80. 0W 3. N 7. 9. 8. 00. 00W 3. Bath County Pumped Storage Station3,0. Huizhou Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 141. 85. 0E 2. N 1. 14. 3. 13. 89E 2. Huizhou Pumped Storage Power Station2,4. Guangdong Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 135. 71. 2E 2. N 1. 13. 9. 53. 33E 2. Guangzhou Pumped Storage Power Station2,4. Okutataragi Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 345. 12. 3E 3. N 1. 34. 8. 56. 39E 3. Okutataragi Pumped Storage Power Station1,9. Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant United States. N8. 62. 64. 3W 4. N 8. 6. 4. 45. 28W 4. Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant1,8. Tianhuangping Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 193. 62. 1E 3. N 1. 19. 6. 05. 83E 3. Tianhuangping Pumped Storage Power Station1,8. Tumut 3 Australia. S1. 481. 72. 9E 3. S 1. 48. 2. 91. 39E 3. Tumut 3 Hydroelectric Power Station1,8. GrandMaison Dam France. N0. 60. 70. 1E 4. N 6. 1. 16. 94E 4. Grand Maison Dam1,8. Wedding Fans With The Program Printed On It. La Muela II Pumped Storage Power Station Spain. N05. 54. 1W 3. N 0. W 3. La Muela II Pumped Power Station1,7. Dinorwig Power Station United Kingdom. N0. 40. 65. 0W 5. N 4. 1. 13. 89W 5. Dinorwig Power Station1,7. Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant United States. N8. 52. 34. 8W 3. N 8. 5. 3. 96. 67W 3. Raccoon Mountain Hydroelectric Power Station1,6. Mingtan Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant Taiwan. N1. 205. 20. 4E 2. N 1. 20. 8. 67. 78E 2. Mingtan Dam1,6. 0291. Okukiyotsu Pumped Storage Power Station 1 2 Japan. N1. 384. 55. 8. E 3. N 1. 38. 7. 66. 11. E 3. 6. 8. 43. Okukiyotsu Pumped Storage Power Station1,6. Castaic Power Plant United States. N1. 183. 92. 3W 3. N 1. 18. 6. 56. 39W 3. Castaic Power Plant1,5. Liyang Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 192. 23. 5E 3. N 1. 19. 3. 76. 39E 3. Liyang Pumped Storage Power Station1,5. Okumino Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 364. 01. 5E 3. N 1. 36. 6. 70. 83E 3. Shimogo Pumped Storage Power Station1,5. Chaira Hydropower Cascade Bulgaria. N2. 35. 21. 5E 4. N 2. 3. 8. 70. 83E 4. Chaira Hydro Power Plant1,4. Sardar Sarovar Dam India. N7. 34. 45. 0E 2. N 7. 3. 7. 47. 22E 2. Sardar Sarovar Dam1,4. Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme South Africa. S2. 93. 50. 8E 2. S 2. 9. 5. 85. 56E 2. Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme1,3. Entracque Power Plant Italy. N0. 72. 31. 0E 4. N 7. 3. 86. 11E 4. Entracque Power Plant1,3. Vianden Pumped Storage Plant Luxembourg. N61. 03. 8E 4. N 6. E 4. Vianden Pumped Storage Plant1,2. Okawachi Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 344. 25. 3E 3. Windows Xp Pro Sp3 Pt-Pt'>Windows Xp Pro Sp3 Pt-Pt. N 1. 34. 7. 14. 72E 3. Okawachi Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Qingyuan Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 125. 14. 3E 2. N 1. 12. 8. 61. 94E 2. Qingyuan Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Shin Takasegawa Pumped Storage Station Japan. N1. 374. 12. 3E 3. N 1. 37. 6. 89. 72E 3. Shin Takasegawa Pumped Storage Station1,2. Presa de Aldeadvila Spain. N64. 10. 8W 4. N 6. W 4. Aldeadvila I y II Pumped Power Station1,2. Hohhot Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 114. 11. 8E 4. N 1. 11. 6. 88. 33E 4. Hohhot PS Power Station1,2. Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 354. 91. 6E 3. N 1. 35. 8. 21. 11E 3. Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Bailianhe Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 152. 71. 5E 3. N 1. 15. 4. 54. 17E 3. Bailianhe PSPS1,2. Baoquan Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 132. 82. 4E 3. N 1. 13. 4. 73. 33E 3. Baoquan PS1,2. 0034Heimifeng Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 130. 03. 6E 2. N 1. 13. 0. 10. 00E 2. Heimifeng PS1,2. Helms Pumped Storage Plant United States. N1. 185. 75. 3. W 3. N 1. 18. 9. 64. 89. W 3. 7. 0. 37. Helms Pumped Storage Plant1,2. Hongping Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 151. 80. 4E 2. N 1. 15. 3. 01. 11E 2. Hongping Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 385. 54. 7E 3. N 1. 38. 9. 29. 72E 3. Kazunogawa Dam1,2. Matanoagawa Dam Japan. N1. 332. 93. 0E 3. N 1. 33. 4. 91. 67E 3. Matanoagawa Dam1,2. Omarugawa Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 312. 22. 5E 3. N 1. 31. 3. 73. 61E 3. Omarugawa Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Pushihe Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 244. 15. 0E 4. N 1. 24. 6. 97. 22E 4. Pushihe PS Hydro Power Station1,2. Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 390. 32. 3E 3. N 1. 39. 0. 56. 39E 3. Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station1,2. Tongbai Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 205. 95. 0E 2. N 1. 20. 9. 97. 22E 2. Tongbai PS1,2. 005Xianyou Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 183. 31. 4E 2. N 1. 18. 5. 53. 89E 2. Xianyou PS1,2. 004. Xilongchi Pumped Storage Power Station China. N1. 131. 62. 4E 3. N 1. 13. 2. 73. 33E 3. Xilongchi PS1,2. Zagorsk Pumped Storage Station Russia. N3. 81. 12. 8E 5. N 3. 8. 1. 91. 11E 5. Zagorsk 1 Pumped Storage Station1,2. Coo Trois Ponts Hydroelectric Power Station Belgium. N0. 55. 12. 6E 5. N 5. 8. 57. 22E 5. Coo Trois Ponts Hydroelectric Power Station1,1. Blenheim Gilboa Hydroelectric Power Station United States. N7. 42. 72. 9W 4. N 7. 4. 4. 58. 06W 4. Blenheim Gilboa Hydroelectric Power Station1,1. Okuyahagi Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 372. 54. 3W 3. N 1. 37. 4. 28. 61W 3. Okuyahagi Pumped Storage Power Station1,1. Shintoyone Pumped Storage Power Station Japan. N1. 374. 53. 8E 3. N 1. 37. 7. 60. 56E 3. Shintoyone Dam1,1. Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant United States. N8. 51. 81. 4W 3. N 8. 5. 3. 03. 89W 3. Rocky Mountain Hydroelectric Plant1,0. Northfield Mountain United States. N7. 22. 65. 0. 6. W 4. 2. 6. 10. N 7. W 4. 2. 6. 10. Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Facility1,0. Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility United States. N7. 61. 75. 4W 3. N 7. 6. 2. 98. 33W 3. Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility1,0. Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station United States. N8. 305. 2. 2. 3W 3. N 8. 3. 0. 14. 50. W 3. 5. 0. 11. Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station Station1,0. Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station Germany. N1. 10. 01. 8E 5. N 1. 1. 0. 05. 00E 5. Goldisthal Pumped Storage Station1,0. Imaichi Pumped Storage Plant Japan. N1. 393. 95. 8E 3. N 1. 39. 6. 66. 11E 3. Imiachi Dam1,0. 504. Markersbach Pumped Storage Power Plant Germany. N1. 25. 25. 7E 5. N 1. 2. 8. 82. 50E 5. Markersbach Pumped Storage Power Plant1,0. Siah Bishe Pumped Storage Power Plant Iran.