Types of Clean Commercial Energy Storage Systems That Don't Use Fossil Fuels

There has been growing concern about the carbon footprint that the burning of fossil fuels leaves on the planet. The capacity of energy grids around the world has also brought engineers and policymakers together to join heads and try to come up with a solution for energy storage.

A commercial energy storage system should allow for a rapid response to fluctuations in energy demands because that reduces the need for backup power plants. An energy storage system is considered effective if it has high storage capacity, low rate of energy loss in the storage process, and high speed of recharging.

In the past, batteries have been used to store small amounts of energy. But with significant increases in energy consumption, larger storage capacities are required to fulfill energy needs. Fossil fuels have been the most used resources for energy - because of their transportability and ease of storage. But with more sustainable practices on the rise, there is a need for the storage of more clean forms of energy

Pumped-Storage Hydro-power

Pumped-storage hydro-power (PSH) facilities are large energy storage plants that use gravity to generate electricity. Water is raised to higher levels during low-cost periods and stored. When electricity is needed, the water is then released into a lower pool, running over turbines. These turbines, when moved, produce electricity. Some plants also have a closed loop system which has a continuous system of a 'water loop' that doesn't need to be pumped to a higher level.

Pumped-storage Hydro-power is a cheaper alternative to many other sources of electricity - especially for large storage capacities. This method is upto 80% energy-efficient.

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)

With this method, air is pumped into an underground hole during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper. Then when electricity is needed, the air is released back into the facility where it's heated. The air expands upon heating, and turns an electricity generator. The energy-efficiency of this method is upto 70%.

Thermal

Thermal energy storage facilities use temperature to store energy. This is actually a very interesting method of storing energy. When energy needs to be stored, rocks, salt, water, and other materials are heated and then kept in an insulated environment to preserve the heat. When demand for electricity increases, cold water is pumped onto the hot rocks and other materials to release thermal energy in the form of steam which rises up and turns turbines. This process produced electricity, and the thermal efficiency of the process is 50% to 90%.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries were first produced by Sony in the 1990s and originally used for small batteries used to charge consumer items such as cell phones. But now, they're being used for larger-scale batteries such as that for electric vehicles. This is the most popular battery storage type today, and every year sees a drop in price for lithium-ion batteries. They are light-weight and have high energy density, and can be paired with solar panels as well.

Lead-Acid Batteries

These were the first types of batteries used for energy storage. But they're not commonly used for grid storage because of low energy density and short life.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by reacting hydrogen and oxygen together. They are quiet, reliable, and energy-dense systems which leave a very small carbon footprint. The only byproduct of the reaction is water. However, the system is expensive because it needs platinum which is an expensive metal.