Solar Energy Storage

While solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, key concerns around solar power's inherent variability threaten to de-rail that scale-up . Currently, integration of intermittent solar resources into the grid creates added complication to load management, leading some utilities to reject it altogether, while other operators may penalize the producers via rate increases or force solar developers to include storage devices on-site to smooth out power delivery at the point of production. However these efforts at mitigation unfold, it is increasingly clear to parties on all sides that energy storage will be pivotally important in the drive to boost the integration of variable renewable sources into power infrastructures across the globe. Thoughtfully implemented storage technologies can reduce peak demand, improve day-to-day reliability, provide emergency power in case of interrupted generation, reduce consumer and utility costs by easing load balance challenges, decrease emissions, and increase the amount of distributed and renewable energy that makes it into the grid. While energy storage has long been an area of concern for scientists and engineers, there has been no comprehensive single text covering the storage methods available to solar power producers, which leaves a lamentable gap in the literature core to this important field. Solar Energy Storage aims to become the authoritative work on the topic, incorporating contributions from an internationally recognized group of top authors from both industry and academia, focused on providing information from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications, and emphasizing the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. * Expert authors explain all current and emergent storage technologies for both solar thermal and photovoltaic applications, shedding light on this pivotal topic* Highlights benefits and drawbacks for each storage technology, affording readers the opportunity to make informed choices about which would be optimally implemented in specific project scenarios* Includes information on chemical storage mechanisms such as lithium ion batteries, mechanical storage tactics such as compressed air and flywheels, thermal storage, and specialized coverage of solar-electric vehicles. * Demonstrates how solar producers can maximize production revenue by implementing storage measures that support steadier supply, and open up new entirely new revenue streams by providing storage as an ancillary service in emerging markets