Study points to 10 per cent storage demand for green grids

Using Italy as a case study, the model predicted that the Italian grid would need enough short-duration storage to absorb around 10 per cent of the country’s renewable generation. TEMOA (Tools for Energy Model Optimization and Analysis), developed by engineers at North Carolina State University (NC State), could be a vital instrument to assist policymakers with long-term energy system planning. The work is published in the Journal of Energy Storage.

“As the world moves toward renewable power sources, we need to find ways to account for their variability,” said Anderson de Queiroz, an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper.

“Energy storage devices give us the flexibility to adjust to fluctuations in energy production while also giving us the reliability we need to meet energy demands. And models like the one we’ve demonstrated here provide critical insights for policymakers regarding their long-term energy storage needs.”