Challenges and progresses of energy storage technology and its application in power systems

TLDR

Energy storage serves as a flexible power source with applications in renewable grid integration, transmission, distribution, distributed generation, microgrids, and ancillary services such as frequency regulation. This study analyzes and summarizes the latest energy storage technologies, evaluating maturity, efficiency, scale, lifespan, cost, and applications, and their impact on generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization. The authors review application scenarios, assess global and Chinese market potentials, discuss technical and economic challenges of large‑scale deployment, and forecast global market development and application prospects.

Abstract

As a flexible power source, energy storage has many potential applications in renewable energy generation grid integration, power transmission and distribution, distributed generation, micro grid and ancillary services such as frequency regulation, etc. In this paper, the latest energy storage technology profile is analyzed and summarized, in terms of technology maturity, efficiency, scale, lifespan, cost and applications, taking into consideration their impact on the whole power system, including generation, transmission, distribution and utilization. The application scenarios of energy storage technologies are reviewed and investigated, and global and Chinese potential markets for energy storage applications are described. The challenges of large-scale energy storage application in power systems are presented from the aspect of technical and economic considerations. Meanwhile the development prospect of global energy storage market is forecasted, and application prospect of energy storage is analyzed.