Using energy storage with solar energy systems is a way for energy producers to balance energy supply with energy demand. Energy storage can be used during periods when the sun is not shining and helps to meet the high demand for electricity on the grid.

Many owners of residential, commercial, and industrial solar power systems are looking for a way to connect their system to a battery so they can use that power as backup power at night or in the event of a power outage. As solar power becomes cheaper and more affordable, the market potential for adding storage to these systems also increases.

Two members of the Hitachi Energy team - Maxine Gavi, Senior Vice President and Head of Edge Network Solutions, and Marina Vujacic, Product Manager for Battery Storage Systems - recently shared their insights into the market for solar energy and storage with POWER . The technology is in line with current trends and what may be in the future.

Energy: What trends do you see in the solar energy and storage markets?

Gavi: Solar Storage Plus has been recognized as one of the leading solutions for cheaper, safer and more sustainable energy. Historically, the primary market application for solar power and storage has been backup power or fossil fuel replacement in micro-grids, while more recently the primary drivers appear to be the energy supply process and useful life, the latter long-term. .perspective. BESS trend (above the 4 hour mark).

Project limitations such as battery pricing, zero emissions policies, investment tax credits, local government incentive programs and many more greatly impact the scope of this technology. Recent geopolitical tensions and the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the need for energy independence, prompting a number of initiatives that will further grow this technology market over the next decade. In the United States, recent changes to the Cut Inflation Act allow solar and storage developers to choose between investment tax credits and to be more strategic and flexible in the development and financing of such projects.

Energy: Outside of large-scale projects (such as residential or commercial/industrial applications), will the use of solar energy and storage increase?

Gavi: In terms of market size, the counter market is much larger than the domestic market. However, the latter is expected to become a key market as rising energy prices combined with natural disasters in recent years have raised awareness of self-production and self-consumption in the residential and utility sectors. This will be particularly the case in regions where energy transmission has a strong public resonance.

Nutrition. Are battery technologies being used to replace (or replace) lithium-ion?

Gavi: Lithium-ion technology will remain the dominant technology that has benefited from the growing demand for electric vehicles. Looking to the future, new technologies such as solid-state batteries or new chemicals such as sodium-ion batteries may become available, providing more raw materials and greener options. In addition to batteries, there are other energy storage technologies that show promise, such as green hydrogen, which could add value in terms of self-sufficiency over storage periods ranging from days to seasons. Multi-vector power systems can use heat storage as a cost-effective solution with storage capacities ranging from hours to weeks.

Energy: How important is adding storage to a solar energy project (or any other renewable energy project) in terms of grid integration and ancillary services?

Vujacic: Storage goes a long way in smoothing fluctuations in solar power generation, while allowing greater consumption of self-produced renewable energy. This allows a two-way exchange of active energy with the grid, allowing storage for a wide range of applications that cannot be provided by clean solar systems such as B. Stabilization and operation of isolated renewable energy systems. Capable of mimicking the behavior of rotating machinery and acting as building blocks of the network, special battery-powered energy storage systems provide system stability and virtual inertia in large interconnected networks. In this way, storage could pave the way for 100% adoption of renewable energy and the successful phase-out of existing synchronous machines powered by fossil fuels.

Energy: what are the advantages of solar storage compared to offline storage?

Vujacic: The economic benefits vary greatly from project to project. When connecting a solar system to storage, some economic benefits can be gained from a single connection process, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Location factors such as grid constraints, load profiles, electricity prices, grid service markets and others have a significant impact on modeling the total cost of these systems. Additionally, control and monitoring of multiple assets, combined with an energy management system with accurate demand planning and generation forecasting, provides additional revenue for colocation projects.

— Darrell Proctor is associate editor of POWER magazine ( @POWERmagazine ) .