Since the COP26 climate change conference, everyone seems to be talking about energy storage and how it can help us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels – but this conversation often centres on larger scale installations such as solar farms.
The simple truth is that smaller installations such as you might find on a residential property can – and will, make a big difference to our worldwide net zero goals. Not to mention saving homeowners from costly energy bills.
What’s the next logical step?
We have been investing in renewable technologies for a long time now, due in large part to concern for the environment but also to keep energy bills down. The next logical step is to store the energy for use either when it’s expensive to draw from the grid when a renewable power source is not readily available (at night or on a cloudy, windless day for instance) or even when there’s a power shortage.
Most battery storage systems will quite happily sit outside, connected to the grid and a renewable power supply, whilst the homeowner is able to check the power status remotely from a laptop or mobile phone. This remote capability is also what would allow the storage system to trade renewable energy with the grid in the future.
The climate emergency coupled with the current uncertainty surrounding the cost and availability of natural gas means that investing in a renewable energy storage system now is a way of future-proofing a home. It leaves a property with the potential not only to exist independently from the grid but also to reduce energy bills to zero.
Standing the test of time
Whilst the initial cost outlay for an entire renewable energy storage system will be healthy, it is a system that will stand the test of time. Not only will this provide peace of mind, but it also means that costs can eventually be recovered.
An energy storage system is essentially an extremely large battery – or series of batteries. These can admittedly be costly and harmful to the environment to replace should something fail. However, there is technology available today whereby if one part of a battery wears out or becomes faulty, the single part can be removed for repair or replacement without meaning that the entire unit has to be replaced.
These systems will of course need to be serviced regularly, just as a domestic boiler is currently to ensure maximum output and a longer lifespan.
For more information on Aceleron’s serviceable, upgradable and scalable circular economy products, visit: https://www.aceleronenergy.com/