Energy storage is vital for renewable energy’s future: Here’s why

According to energy governance group REN21, renewable energy will account for nearly half (45%) of global electricity generation by 2040. 

This growing number is worthy of much excitement. Yet as renewable energy use continues to grow, it faces a looming challenge: in a world accustomed to having electricity on demand, renewable energy’s reliance on specific weather means that it offers intermittent availability, which could create a less reliable grid system over time. 

Does this mean they won’t be dependable sources of renewable energy in the future? Quite the contrary. Let’s take a closer look at how energy storage solutions can solve the problem and help the world get the most from sustainable energy production – all while creating even more job opportunities for specialists in the renewables & energy storage sectors.   

In short, intermittent generation is the irregular availability of electricity over a certain time period. When weather conditions are less than favourable, the efficiency of renewable sources decrease, which can make electricity generation inconsistent and unreliable. Since leading renewable technologies like solar, hydro, wind and geothermal power are weather dependent, they can’t provide electricity year-round as single sources.

For example, hydropower, which accounts for 16% of global power generation, is largely dependent on water currents, precipitation levels and is impacted by the seasons. Wind power relies on wind speed, concentration and temperature, and solar power depends on the sun’s energy concentration, the amount of diffuse solar radiation and the time of year.

Because of these variances, these sources are considered ‘non-dispatchable’, meaning their output can’t be turned on or off as required to meet society’s fluctuating electricity needs.