CHAPTER FIFTEENSay Goodbye to Conventional Power Plants
In Chapter 14, we looked at some of the parties interested in adopting energy storage systems, and the reasons they are replacing legacy-generating facilities with solar, wind, and supplemental battery storage. In this chapter, we'll look at the specific effects that battery storage systems will have on future power plant construction. The effect of cheap storage combined with local generation (solar and wind) will keep a lot of power plants from ever being built. Let's look at some of the specific reasons energy storage is becoming such a game-changer in the energy space. Some of this material can get very technical, but I have done my best to clarify and simplify the concepts for you.
BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT
Remember that the electricity in non-storage, electrical-grid networks is used as soon as it is generated. All power generated worldwide is alternating current (AC) power. Here in the United States, the nominal frequency is 60 hertz (Hz). Most of Europe, Asia, and Africa generate 50 Hz power. Most networks have excess generating capacity that is available to add to the grid as demand increases. When an electric generating plant trips offline suddenly and unexpectedly, there is an immediate dearth of energy on the grid. This causes a drop in frequency on the grid. If the frequency falls too far, other generators may not be able to supply enough energy to the system fast enough to keep the grid stable. If that happens, ...