National Grid Summer Outlook Report
National Grid published its Summer Outlook Report 2021. Despite its rosy picture, our analysis of it draws some very different conclusions; for example:
- Even without considering grid stability (the most important issue in low-demand periods), their review of the first lockdown in 2020 largely confirms our own which highlighted how costly such low-demand periods are – and will be in future – without sufficient large-scale long-duration inertial storage. Their figures at the time showed these costs to be ~£1bn p.a. by 2030
- Like their winter analysis, it depends (p14) on ~7GW statistical average outputs from wind – and, as is well known, the wind doesn’t always blow at a statistically average speed; often it’s slower or absent, leaving a huge 4.6 – 10.8 GW (26-55%) shortfall for which National Grid will have to fire up power stations intended to remain closed until winter. As these power stations close permanently, this will rapidly become a big problem.
Study on Long Duration Energy Storage
This study, published on 29th March, is absolutely definitive on the benefits of our technologies on grid, without the authors having sight of our technologies (the turquoise writing is ours, not theirs).
IRENA: Electric Grids Will More Than Double
IRENA (International Renewable Energy Association) has issued a new preview report analysing pathways for the world to achieve Net Zero to restrict global warming to 1.5°C. In it, key findings are:
- Most of the technologies to achieve it are already known and available
- It is still entirely possible, still
- Electricity demand will be 2.2x demand in 2018
We note that IRENA are unaware of Storelectric; compared with their scenarios, we would provide tens of billions of annual investment savings in each of storage and grids, and billions of annual investment savings in renewables.
Solar Impulse 1,000 Solutions
The Solar Impulse Foundation / Hello Tomorrow has just awarded its 1,000th label. after rigorously evaluating each for its economic, commercial and environmental impact. Storelectric achieved this label last May. These solutions can, together, change the world by stopping global warming, while enabling ongoing economic development world-wide.
More Awards
Storelectric has been awarded Most Outstanding Renewable Energy Storage Solutions Provider — UK by the 2021 Global Business Insight Awards — yet another award validating our solutions.
Storelectric has also been selected as finalists in the Energy Tech Challengers competition, from over 300 entrants. Although the category is entitled “Top 10 Battery Challengers”, in fact it’s “… Storage Challengers”.
Thought Leadership Blog
Grid-scale electricity storage using an innovative form of Compressed Air Energy Storage.
When discussing adiabatic CAES, such as that proposed by Storelectric, it is frequently confused with isothermal CAES such as that proposed by Lightsail, SustainX and General Compression. In fact, the two are fundamentally different.
