How does battery energy storage work?

This blog explains battery energy storage, how it works, and why it’s important. At its core, a battery stores electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, which can be released on demand as electricity. The battery charging process involves converting electrical energy into chemical energy, and discharging reverses the process.

What is a battery and how does it work?

A battery for the purposes of this explanation will be a device that can store energy in a chemical form and convert that stored chemical energy into electrical energy when needed. These are the most common batteries, the ones with the familiar cylindrical shape.

Do batteries store electrical energy?

There are no batteries that actually store electrical energy; all batteries store energy in some other form. Even within this restrictive definition, there are many possible chemical combinations that can store electrical energy--a list too long to go into in this short explanation.

Why is battery storage important?

For several reasons, battery storage is vital in the energy mix. It supports integrating and expanding renewable energy sources, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Storing excess energy produced during periods of high renewable generation (sunny or windy periods) helps mitigate the intermittency issue associated with renewable resources.

Why do we need batteries?

This is especially relevant as society shifts towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which can produce intermittent power that batteries can store for later use.

What makes a battery unique?

Batteries are unique because they store energy chemically, not mechanically or thermally. This stored chemical energy is potential energy—energy waiting to be unleashed. Inside a battery, this energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the materials in its electrodes.