Increasing energy access globally is crucial to ensure universal energy access by 2030. The role of renewable energy is essential in ensuring that this access is clean and sustainable as it is from sources that do not deplete over time. However, renewable energy sources like wind and solar are intermittent supply, heavily dependent on time and seasons. This makes it undependable for 24 hours, 365 days a year. Technologies that capture energy from the sun and wind sometimes generate excess energy during the peak periods of supply and are subsequently unavailable to meet off-peak energy demands. The unreliability of these energy sources results in the need to store energy.
Energy storage refers to capturing and storing energy(electricity) in its original form or another form for use later when needed. Storing energy is necessary to ensure that generated energy matches consumption at any given point and limits fluctuations. Energy generated can be stored in different forms. The various forms of energy storage technologies are:
- Mechanical Storage
- Electrical Storage
- Chemical Storage
- Electrochemical Storage
- Thermal Storage
Storing energy is necessary for a wide range of energy applications like enhancing and improving energy access in homes as energy needs vary from heating, cooling, lighting and entertainment. These needs are essential and contribute to improved livelihood. Energy storage is also critical to developing and sustaining clean transport(e-mobility) and ensuring the resilience of renewable energy technology. Storage capacity is measured in Joules or Kilowatt-hours.