10. Energy Storage: Assessment of Selected Tools in Local and Global Scales

Over short periods of time, the amount of generated electricity is relatively fixed, but demand for electricity fluctuates throughout the day. Thus, technology for storing electrical energy is needed to manage the amount of power required to supply customers at times when need is greatest, during peak load. Also it can help to make renewable energy, whose power output cannot be controlled by grid operators, without interruptions of power supply and smooth. Suitable local energy storage can balance microgrids to achieve a good match between generation and load. Storage devices can achieve a more reliable power supply for industrial facilities, and hold considerable promise for transforming the electric power industry. Energy storage technology is applied to a wide range of areas that differ in power and energy requirements. It includes batteries, electrochemical capacitors, superconducting magnetic storage, pumped-storage hydroelectricity, and flywheels. Also new technology seeks to improve energy storage density in electrolytes and nano-structured electrodes.