I remember a question from a few years ago after one of my many posts sharing optimism about renewable energy – “What about energy storage?”
Renewable energy – cheap and clean energy from the universe – works like magic. But, depending on the source, you can’t depend on it 24 x 7 because it isn’t, for example, sunny every hour of the day.
Ergo energy storage. We need the ability to store excess energy from the sun (for example) so we can use it for our consumption when we need it. The key here is mass-production. As we produce more batteries, we’ll get better thanks to “learning curves.”
Given how important it is, it is awesome to see this exponential chart that shows global battery storage capacity additions. A large part of this addition is the 14 million new electric cars around the world.
But that’s not all. As more grids tap into the cheapest energy available (solar!), they’re installing battery capacity as well. 2 weeks ago, for example, battery storage became the biggest source of supply in the evening peak in the California grid. Notice how battery takes over after solar power during the day.
An exponential transition in the works. It’s exciting stuff.
It also mirrors how we power our home. More on that another day.
A Learning a Day 