How to store energy with compressed air

What is compressed air energy storage?

Compressed air energy storage or simply CAES is one of the many ways that energy can be stored during times of high production for use at a time when there is high electricity demand.

Can compressed air energy storage help the UK achieve energy goals?

It is expected that the UK will need to be able to store about 200GWh of electricity by 2020, to help support the grid that becomes more dependant on intermittent renewable energy sources. Compressed air energy storage could be a valuable tool in allowing us to hit these ambitious targets.

What are the disadvantages of compressed air energy storage?

Disadvantages of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) One of the main disadvantages of CAES is its low energy efficiency. During compressing air, some energy is lost due to heat generated during compression, which cannot be fully recovered. This reduces the overall efficiency of the system.

What is the efficiency of a compressed air based energy storage system?

CAES efficiency depends on various factors, such as the size of the system, location, and method of compression. Typically, the efficiency of a CAES system is around 60-70%, which means that 30-40% of the energy is lost during the compression and generation process. What is the main disadvantage of compressed air-based energy storage?

How many large scale compressed air energy storage facilities are there?

As of late 2012, there are three existing large scale compressed air energy storage facilities worldwide. All three current CAES projects use large underground salt caverns to store energy. The first is located in Huntorf, Germany, and was completed in 1978.

What was the first compressed air energy storage facility?

The first compressed air energy storage facility was the E.ON-Kraftwerk’s 290MW plant built in Huntorf, Germany in 1978. This plant was built to help manage grid loads, by storing the electricity as pressurised air when demand was low during the night.