Energiasalvestuslahendused

Energiasalvestuslahendused refer to systems that store energy for later use to balance supply and demand, increase reliability, and enable higher shares of renewable energy. They can operate at various scales, from residential batteries to utility-scale storage, and provide services such as peak shaving, frequency regulation, and backup power.

Technologies include electrochemical storage (batteries, including lithium-ion and flow batteries), mechanical storage (pumped hydro storage, compressed air, flywheels), and thermal storage (sensible or latent heat, molten salt). Chemical storage such as hydrogen produced from surplus electricity (power-to-gas) allows long-duration storage and later use as fuel or electricity. Each technology has distinct characteristics in capacity, duration, response time, round-trip efficiency, and land or water use.

Applications include balancing variable renewable generation, smoothing diurnal demand, supporting grid stability and resilience, and enabling microgrids or remote installations. They also enable economic operations through price arbitrage and participation in capacity or ancillary services markets.

Design considerations depend on storage duration, required power, space, safety, and environmental impact. Capital costs, lifecycle management, recycling, and compliance with grid codes and safety standards are important. Siting decisions must account for permitting, land use, and integration with control systems and market rules.

In Estonia and the Baltic region, energiasalvestuslahendused are increasingly pursued to improve energy security, optimize renewable integration, and strengthen grid modernization. Public funding and EU programs support pilots and larger deployments, including distributed batteries and wind- or solar-plus-storage projects.