In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists for their pioneering research in lithium-ion battery technology. Their decades of work has led to batteries that can be recharged and have become ever smaller and more powerful. This has radically changed our laptops, telephones and and soon our lives.
Thanks to batteries, we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will move more and more more electric and decarbonise our electricity supply at the same time. decarbonise our electricity supply.
When a battery is coupled with with renewable energy production, such as solar panels or wind turbines, then the clean energy generated during bright and sunny weather can be stored in the battery. the clean energy generated during bright and sunny weather can be stored for use during the night or on cloudy days. to be used at night or in cloudy weather.
Batteries help with the intermittent nature of wind and sun
In recent years, a huge number of wind turbines and solar panels have been installed. This number must and will increase considerably in order to climate objectives. But the sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow as hard. does not always blow as hard. So that is a threat to the security of security of supply of our electricity grid.
In our electricity grid, energy is typically used at the same time as it is produced. The demand (consumption) must always be in balance with the supply (production) or we will be faced with overloads or outages. On sunny afternoons, solar panels often produce too much electricity locally. As a result, we increasingly read about inverters failing.
Instead of inverters (and therefore reduce the production of renewable energy), batteries can temporarily store the excess energy 'before and after the meter batteries can temporarily store excess energy. storage. Pre-meter batteries are typically very large batteries that help to stabilise the grid. stabilise the grid.
After-the-meter batteries provide storage capacity in a company or in your home. So these are the home batteries. In the future, these batteries will be able to be bundled together to help help stabilise the electricity network. The owner of the battery will receive compensation for this.
Batteries help to spread the demand for for electricity
Batteries can play an important role at times of high demand for electricity. demand for electricity. That is, for example, when people come back from work. The lights are turned on, a lot of household appliances are switched on, the electric car is plugged in... and that's just when the sun is shining. electric car is plugged in... and that's just when the sun goes down. goes down.
To compensate for this, we typically use gas-fired power plants because they can be switched on relatively quickly. gas-fired power stations because they can be switched on relatively quickly. At such times, it is also profitable to switch on because the market price can still cover the costs of a gas plant due to the high demand and the lower supply. demand and the lower supply can still cover the costs of a gas-fired power station. These days, gas-fired power stations are only switched on for a few hundred hours a year. switched on for only a few hundred hours a year.
With your home battery, you will be able to handle your peak consumption yourself. In addition In the future, we will also see more and more large 'by-the-meter' batteries that will help to meet peak demand. that will help to meet peak demand.
The introduction of the capacity charge should also be seen in this light, as it will encourage us not to charge our cars at full speed, for example. encourage us not to charge our cars at full speed, for example. Your car does not have to be fully charged again at 8pm, because you have the whole evening and night to have the whole evening and night to calmly recharge what you used that day. recharging.
Batteries are thus an indispensable link in the energy transition. Thanks to batteries, we can meet our increasing need for electricity from renewable sources without demand for electricity from renewable sources without having to turn off the lights.
Electric driving: good for our planet
