The economic indicators of energy storage are generally

Why are energy storage technologies important?

Energy storage technologies have been recognized as an important component of future power systems due to their capacity for enhancing the electricity grid's flexibility, reliability, and efficiency. They are accepted as a key answer to numerous challenges facing power markets, including decarbonization, price volatility, and supply security.

How does energy storage affect investment?

The influence of energy storage on investment is contingent upon various factors such as the cost of storage technologies, the availability of government incentives, the design of market mechanisms, the share of generation sources, the infrastructure, economic conditions, and the existence of different flexibility options.

Is there a tool for evaluating financial aspects of energy storage?

In addition to the aforementioned tools, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) introduced a tool for evaluating financial aspects and analyzing scenarios related to energy storage named STOREFAST. 2 Schmidt et al. (2019) studied anticipated LCOS technologies using the tool provided by storage-lab 3 .

Why are storage systems not widely used in electricity networks?

In general, they have not been widely used in electricity networks because their cost is considerably high and their profit margin is low. However, climate concerns, carbon reduction effects, increase in renewable energy use, and energy security put pressure on adopting the storage concepts and facilities as complementary to renewables.

Which energy storage option is most cost-effective?

The application analysis reveals that battery energy storage is the most cost-effective choice for durations of <2 h, while thermal energy storage is competitive for durations of 2.3–8 h. Pumped hydro storage and compressed-air energy storage emerges as the superior options for durations exceeding 8 h.

What are the potential value and development prospects of energy storage technologies?

By means of technical economics, the potential value and development prospects of energy storage technologies can be revealed from the perspective of investors or decision-makers to better facilitate the deployment and progress of energy storage technologies.