Battery storage costs have changed rapidly over the past decade. In 2016, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published a set of cost projections for utility-scale.
The 2020 Cost and Performance Assessment analyzed energy storage systems from 2 to 10 hours. The 2022 Cost and Performance Assessment analyzes storage system at additional 24- and 100-hour durations.
Which energy storage technologies are included in the 2020 cost and performance assessment?
The 2020 Cost and Performance Assessment provided installed costs for six energy storage technologies: lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, lead-acid batteries, vanadium redox flow batteries, pumped storage hydro, compressed-air energy storage, and hydrogen energy storage.
Looking at 100 MW systems, at a 2-hour duration, gravity-based energy storage is estimated to be over $1,100/kWh but drops to approximately $200/kWh at 100 hours. Li-ion LFP offers the lowest installed cost ($/kWh) for battery systems across many of the power capacity and energy duration combinations.
What are energy storage technologies?
Energy storage technologies, store energy either as electricity or heat/cold, so it can be used at a later time. With the growth in electric vehicle sales, battery storage costs have fallen rapidly due to economies of scale and technology improvements.
Why is it important to compare energy storage technologies?
As demand for energy storage continues to grow and evolve, it is critical to compare the costs and performance of different energy storage technologies on an equitable basis.
Are battery electricity storage systems a good investment?
This study shows that battery electricity storage systems offer enormous deployment and cost-reduction potential. By 2030, total installed costs could fall between 50% and 60% (and battery cell costs by even more), driven by optimisation of manufacturing facilities, combined with better combinations and reduced use of materials.