Does more solar and wind mean more storage value?

“Our results show that is true, and that all else equal, more solar and wind means greater storage value. That said, as wind and solar get cheaper over time, that can reduce the value storage derives from lowering renewable energy curtailment and avoiding wind and solar capacity investments.

Do solar and wind dominant grids require different storage durations?

Solar and wind dominant grids are expected to require different storage durations since solar has a diurnal cycle and wind might not.

How much solar energy does the WECC have?

In the most solar-dominant scenario (91% solar, 9% wind, i.e., five times more solar than wind), the WECC has 243 GW of 6-to-10-h storage and this amount drops roughly linearly to 97 GW In the most wind-dominant scenario (40% solar, 60% wind) (Supplementary Fig. 2).

How does storage affect the economic value of electricity?

The study’s key findings include: The economic value of storage rises as VRE generation provides an increasing share of the electricity supply. The economic value of storage declines as storage penetration increases, due to competition between storage resources for the same set of grid services.

How much does solar and wind curtailment drop if storage is mandated?

We find that solar and wind curtailment drops as up to 20 TWh if storage is mandated (Fig. 5a). The WECC’s yearly renewable curtailment drops sharply from 118 GWh in the baseline to 9.6 GWh in the 20 TWh of storage scenario (−92%). Beyond this point, the impact is much more gradual.

How long should solar energy storage be?

This relationship suggests that 6-to-10-h storage is the ideal duration to support the diurnal cycles of solar power. In wind-dominant scenarios, 6-to-10-h storage is replaced by 10-to-20-h storage that appears better suited to support wind-dominant grids.