ABSTRACT
Energy storage may play a more and more critical role in an efficient and renewable energy future, much more so than it does in today's fossil-based energy economy. There are two principal reasons that energy storage may grow in importance with increased development of renewable energy. They are: many important renewable energy sources are intermittent, and generate when weather dictates, rather than when energy demand dictates and many transportation systems require energy to be carried with the vehicle. This chapter discusses five technologies: direct electric, electrochemical, mechanical, direct thermal, and thermochemical. It provides an overview of biomass storage technologies from an energetic perspective only. The chapter also discusses storage media which can accept and deliver energy in three fundamental forms: electrical, mechanical, and thermal. Storage technologies that accept and/or produce heat should as a rule only is used with heat energy sources or with heat applications.
