Electrical Energy Storage – Transport and Grid Seminar

With the predicted changes and growth in the electricity grid and generation mix by 2050, for example to a future renewables 'smart grid' having a maximum generation capacity up to 40% greater than today (~80GW at present), it is apparent that balancing the electrical network to ensure the high quality, reliable, secure energy supply enjoyed today will be a challenge. A potential 'game changing' technology in permitting migration of our current grid to this future vision lies in the area of highly integrated energy storage technologies.

Although there are many forms of potential large scale energy storage e.g. CAES, battery, hydrogen and so on, a further opportunity exists
then the potential of electrified transport as a form of energy storage is considered, envisaged under the 'Vehicle to Grid' (V2G) concept. For example, with a current 33 million passenger vehicles registered on the UK roads, and assuming a 10kW rated V2G inverter installed on each, a cumulative peak power capacity of 330GW would be created, over 4 times the current grid generation capacity. Similar  alculations for the resulting aggregate battery energy storage capacity from each vehicle results in the creation of a dispersed, grid scale electrical energy storage capability being created.

This seminar will present details of the needs and challenges of supplying, large scale electrical energy storage, and will focus on the author’s work in the vehicle to grid area and associated energy storage technologies.