So, what aspects of energy should we store for energy storage? At present, China’s energy sector is still dominated by coal-fired power generation. Coal, as a non renewable energy source, consumes a lot of energy and causes significant pollution. Wind, light, and water are renewable energy sources with low energy consumption and minimal pollution.
Q: Why do we still rely on thermal power? Is it due to a lack of wind, light, and water?
A: Of course not!
Compared to thermal power, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and water are all dependent on the weather for power generation, and have intermittency and instability. There may be situations where it is not needed when it is needed, and many situations where it is not needed.
So, our super ‘power bank’ should store the electricity generated by intermittent and unstable renewable energy sources such as wind, light, and water, in case of insufficient power.
Some scholars have calculated that based on the current global electricity consumption, only 40000 square kilometers of solar panels are enough to supply global electricity.
40000 square kilometers may sound scary, but in fact, it is only 1/40 of the area of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. The whole earth definitely does not lack this place.
Q: Why not do it this way?
A: The reason is simple: because energy storage technology cannot keep up.
It can be seen that although renewable energy generation is green, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon, wind and solar power curtailment are common. To solve the instability of renewable energy generation, energy storage is inevitably an essential solution!