Utilities will drive most of the energy storage sales
Over the years the use of renewable energy has risen thanks to states’ regulations and decreasing value of wind and solar power. But the lack of large-scale battery storage may hinder the further expansion of the renewable energy market and affect states’ climate goals.
A research financed by the Energy Department examined 12 utilities in 10 Western states through 2015 and found out that they used three times more wind energy than regulators anticipated. At the present time it is clear that the market shouldn’t underestimate distributed energy technologies. Furthermore, Utilities will drive most of the storage sales and they are in position to influence further the Renewable Energy market growth.
Even though NorthWestern Energy, a Montana utility, provides as much as 60% of its electricity from renewable sources like hydropower and wind generation, the company is aware that renewables’ energy is intermittent and is not a dependable source in times of high demand.
The state of California has sufficient solar panels to meet power needs during the height of a spring day, but it lacks large-scale energy storage capabilities and therefore there is no use to add more solar panels, according to Chris Namovicz, a team lead for renewable electricity analysis at the Energy Information Administration. Consequently, companies are starting to research energy storage options and the market is expected to grow in the years to come.
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