Should energy storage be added to a zero carbon power system?

Considering all the challenges of operating a zero carbon power system described throughout this paper, the addition of energy storage will constitute one of the main approaches taken to address these challenges. Energy storage helps with the challenge of matching supply and demand in a power system where both vary dramatically.

What is a zero carbon power system?

A zero carbon power system is likely to have far fewer large rotating synchronous machines. Wind turbines, solar photovoltaics and battery storage devices are “asynchronous” devices that connect to the power system through power electronics. As such generators proliferate, the total amount of inertia in the power system will decrease.

Can a zero carbon power system be pumped-hydro?

A zero carbon power system is likely to need long-duration energy storage, and as yet the only viable form of such storage is pumped-hydro storage. The number of places in which a pumped storage system can be constructed is quite constrained, and alternative long-term storage technologies will need to be found. Sustainability.

Are net zero carbon power systems a distant future?

Net zero carbon power systems are no longer a remote possibility of some distant future. Many countries around the world have committed to net zero carbon emissions targets, and a variety of pressures mean that power systems around the world are changing dramatically.

What new technologies are coming to a zero carbon power system?

The transition to zero carbon operation brings many new technologies to power system stakeholders. While well-known technologies such as hydropower, gas, and other forms of generation will continue in the zero carbon power system, many other new technologies, or significant evolutions of older technologies, are appearing.

What is the difference between a traditional power system and a zero carbon system?

The focus of subsections 3.2 to 3.5 is on the significant differences between a traditional power system and a zero carbon system, which tend to follow from the extensive use of wind and solar generation and storage devices such as batteries. Today’s power systems require significant “inertia” to cope with sudden shifts in generation or load.