ABSTRACT
As noted in Chapter 7, the success of unreliable distributed energy resources such as solar and wind will heavily depend on the ability to store the energy for times when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining. For example, according to a paper to be released by the National Solar Energy Center in Israel, it concluded that “[s]olar plants, without storage, could only generate around 3 percent to 4 percent of the country’s power without being forced to dump large amounts of solar power.”1 That ˜gure goes up substantially if the solar plants are paired with energy storage. The quest for reliable and cost-effective energy storage lies front and center in our effort to both make effective use of renewable energy and satisfy the needs of our increasingly mobile society. It is also central to the successful deployment of electric vehicles where consumers, accustomed to driving 300-400 miles on a single gasoline ˜ll-up, are frequently balking at the suggestions of a 5-to 8-hour charging cycle every 50 miles or so. And beyond consumer adoption is the logistical challenge of deploying vehicle charging stations in a manner where driving all-electric vehicles could be practical.
