The Crucial Concept Of Storing Solar

How is Solar Energy Stored

Benedette Cuffari, June 14, 2016 (AZO Cleantech)

“…[S]olar energy technologies are easy to install, and require little maintenance compared to other energy sources…[Over 22,700 MW of cumulative solar energy is currently being operated in the U.S., enough to power more than 4.6 million average American homes but storing it cost-effectively remains] a challenge engineers are striving to overcome…Current technologies that allow the storage of solar energy include [thermal storage, or storing its heat], compressed air energy storage (CAES), hydrogen storage, pumped hydroelectric storage, flywheels, and batteries…While solar energy storage systems can be expensive, research organizations such as the Department of Energy’s Energy Storage Program and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the United States are looking towards enhancing the development and deployment of current and future energy storage technologies…FERC has created a pricing structure called Pay-for-Performance, in which the agency regulates the electricity grid by paying storage technologies and other resources a higher price for their services, allowing for more cost-effective options to be available…” click here for more

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