On generation-integrated energy storage

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 86; pp. 544 - 551
• Main Authors: Garvey, S.D., Eames, P.C., Wang, J.H., Pimm, A.J., Waterson, M., MacKay, R.S., Giulietti, M., Flatley, L.C., Thomson, M., Barton, J., Evans, D.J., Busby, J., Garvey, J.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2015; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Balancing; Cost; Development policy; Electric power; Electricity; Electricity generation; Energy (nuclear); Energy policy; Energy storage; Equivalence; Incentives; Nuclear energy; Policies; Power; Power generation; Primaries; Primaries & caucuses; Renewable energy; Social classes; Solar power; Solar power generation; Storage; Stores; Studies; Transformation; Transformations; Wave power; Incentives; Balancing; Renewable energy; Energy storage
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.001

Generation-integrated energy storage (GIES) systems store energy at some point along the transformation between the primary energy form and electricity. Instances exist already in natural hydro power, biomass generation, wave power, and concentrated solar power. GIES systems have been proposed for wind, nuclear power and they arise naturally in photocatalysis systems that are in development. GIES systems can compare very favourably in both performance and total cost against equivalent non-integrated systems comprising both generation and storage. Despite this, they have not hitherto been recognised as a discrete class of systems. Consequently policy decisions affecting development or demonstration projects and policy approaches concerning low-carbon generation are not fully informed. This paper highlights that policy structures exist militating against the development and introduction of GIES systems-probably to the detriment of overall system good.
•Current wisdom considers that energy storage and generation must be separate.•Integrating energy storage with generation lowers capital costs.•Integrating energy storage with generation reduces total energy losses.•Existing policies militate against such integrated systems being developed.