Green Storage Revolution

With energy storage hugely important for the development of distributed generation and the integration of renewables into the electricity system, Enel Green Power has been investing its commitment to storage projects.

The energy storage market will be worth $50 billion in six years’ time, according to Finding Growth Opportunities in the $50 Billion Energy Storage Market, a recent report published by Lux Research and the latest in a string of energy storage sector growth forecasts.

Being able to store energy generated by renewable sources is one of the most important areas for plant management, the development of smart distribution networks and both residential and industrial energy management. Thanks to increasingly efficient storage systems, it will be possible to store generated electricity at the most convenient time or in order to use green energy when it is most necessary.

Enel Green Power recently launched Active RES into the Grid, a project that this year will see the installation of three electrochemical storage systems combined with two wind farms and a solar PV plant, all connected to the medium-voltage grid. The project will test the advanced energy management functions aimed at reducing intermittence of supply while maximising the use of existing connections.

Over the course of the year, an electrochemical storage system combined with an off-grid hybrid PV solar-wind power plant that has a backup diesel generator will be installed in the Chilean village of Ollagüe. The system will provide electricity to the village throughout the day, with 85 percent of supply coming from renewable energy sources. Research will be carried out together with the University of Chile and the University of Rome Tor Vergata.