Definition
According to the current state of the art, electrical energy can only be stored to a very limited extent and for a short time, which is why electrical energy storage is almost always referred to as storage that converts electrical energy into a form of energy that is easier to store and later converts it back into electricity. Consequently, bringing all electrical storage devices into one definition presents challenges for legislators.
For this reason, the definition of energy storage devices was not adapted until June 2022, in the course of the Easter Package, and laid down in the Energy Industry Act.
Energy Industry Act (EnWG) §3 15d (Since June 22).
Energy storage facility:
"A facility in an electric power system by which the ultimate use of electric energy is postponed to a time later than that of its generation, or by which the conversion of electric energy into a storable form of energy, the storage of such energy and its subsequent conversion back into electric energy, or use as another energy carrier is accomplished."
In short, an energy storage system is a system that takes energy in the form of electricity from the power grid, converts it into another form of energy if necessary, and then feeds it back into the power grid in the form of electrical energy with a time delay.
Consequently, an energy storage system is not an (end) consumer, since the electricity consumed is not consumed by the user, but it is also not a producer, since the energy was not produced by the storage system itself.
An energy storage system is therefore merely an intermediate storage facility for the temporary storage of energy.
Why are electrical energy storage systems important for successfully mastering the energy transition?
The continuous shutdown of conventional large-scale power plants such as coal, gas or nuclear power plants and the development of several million renewable generation plants immensely increases both the complexity and the volatility of the German power grid.
Already today, there are more and more days when the price of electricity drops into negative territory, especially when a significant surplus is produced by PV & wind during the day and prices rise massively again in the evening and expensive conventional power plants have to be ramped up to meet demand as night falls.
More detailed information can be found in the article "Large-scale battery storage as a key technology for the energy transition" .
In addition to these short-term fluctuations within a few hours, there is the weather dependency and the seasonal dependency of renewable sources. Even with a week of overcast and windless weather or a significantly lower production output of all PV plants in winter, the German power grid must be able to combine power generation and power consumption and thus ensure security of supply.
It is therefore not possible to achieve an energy transition solely through the expansion of renewable energies and it is imperative that this be supplemented by an equally rapid expansion of both short-term and long-term energy storage systems, which will make the power grid more flexible and stable and thus prepare it for the high number of volatile plants. This is shown, among other things, by the Fraunhofer study "Paths to a Climate-Neutral Energy System" of 12.11.21, which expects an enormous increase in the number of electrical energy storage systems. (Increase in battery storage from 0.45 GWh in 2021 to 83 GWh in 2030).
What are the different types of energy storage devices?
The various types of energy storage systems differ fundamentally in the form of energy in which the electricity is stored. In general, a distinction is made between chemical, electro-chemical, thermal, mechanical and electrical energy storage systems.
