Can Solar Energy Be Stored? Solutions for the Future
Solar energy storage is essential for optimizing the use of renewable energy sources. It enables homeowners and businesses to
Storage helps solar contribute to the electricity supply even when the sun isn't shining. It can also help smooth out variations in how solar energy flows on the grid. These variations are attributable to changes in the amount of sunlight that shines onto photovoltaic (PV) panels or concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems.
Sometimes energy storage is co-located with, or placed next to, a solar energy system, and sometimes the storage system stands alone, but in either configuration, it can help more effectively integrate solar into the energy landscape. What Is Energy Storage?
Existing compressed air energy storage systems often use the released air as part of a natural gas power cycle to produce electricity. Solar power can be used to create new fuels that can be combusted (burned) or consumed to provide energy, effectively storing the solar energy in the chemical bonds.
Although using energy storage is never 100% efficient—some energy is always lost in converting energy and retrieving it—storage allows the flexible use of energy at different times from when it was generated. So, storage can increase system efficiency and resilience, and it can improve power quality by matching supply and demand.
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