Renewable Energy and the Essential Role of Batteries
By Ali Karim-Lee & Justine Taormino
Wait, What Is Battery Storage?
Battery storage is a technology that enables power system operators and utilities to store energy for later use. A battery energy storage system (BESS) is an electrochemical device that charges (or collects energy) from the grid or a power plant and then discharges that energy at a later time to provide electricity or other grid services when needed (source). A battery is not the only energy storage system option. Other examples include thermal (using heating and cooling methods to store and release energy), flywheels (storing energy in a rapidly spinning mechanical rotor), pumped hydro power (water flowing through turbines to produce electricity), and emerging technologies like compressed air, superconducting magnets, and hydrogen storage (source).
The Essential Role Of Batteries
As we move towards a sustainable future, the need for renewable energy generation is on the rise. Clean energy sources are set to outpace growth in global electricity demand and will overtake fossil fuels in the process (source). Renewable energy can not be produced 24/7/365 due to limitations in systems and the inconsistent access to certain energies. For instance, cloudy days reduce solar energy generation, calm weather reduces wind energy generation, etc. The intermittent nature of renewable energy requires means of energy storage (like batteries) to make consistent availability of renewable energy sources possible. In addition, energy storage provides grid relief during peak energy demands by storing energy during off-peak times to be used in times of higher demand.
Drawbacks Of Recycling BESS
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) play a vital role in the increase in and movement towards renewable energy options, however, the full cycle of “renewable” needs to take into account the reusability and/or recyclability of the batteries themselves. If not, the renewable energy systems are just creating waste of a different kind. Incorrect battery disposal or reuse can leak environmental toxins, never biodegrade, or in worst case situations, explode (source). To tackle the material use aspect of BESS, solutions are developing to reuse and recycle batteries, for example, used electric car batteries can be recycled at renewable energy plants or reused in other grid applications (source). The whole process is fairly new and runs into trouble with two main issues: the cost of recycling (or the lack of profit in recycling) and the varying types of batteries which makes it more difficult to standardize and scale recycling processes (source).
California Title 24-2022 Battery Requirements
With the 2022 Energy Code, California is the first state to enact a solar plus storage requisite. The order, which went into effect January 1, 2023, requires all newly constructed commercial buildings to have a solar photovoltaic (PV) array and an energy storage system (ESS) installed (source).
The move towards renewable energies is gaining momentum and battery life-cycles (manufacturing, implementing in a system, and recycling/reusing) will play an important role in just how “renewable” these energy systems can be.
For specific Title 24 language and requirements, visit energycodeace.com.
For more information about how Title 24 affects California building codes and regulations, please contact us at argentograham.com/contact