Chapter 27 - Greenhouse gas emissions from storing energy from wind turbines

Abstract

This chapter discusses how storage affects the energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions of wind-generated electricity paired with electrical energy storage technologies. The results, based on life cycle assessment studies, identify conditions under which storing wind energy is more energetically favorable than simply curtailing electricity production. While modular and convenient to install where needed, electrochemical-based storage technologies result in lower (worse) energy return ratios than large-scale geological-based storage technologies such as compressed air energy storage and pumped storage hydro (PSH). Due to their low energy throughput on energy invested ratios, conventional battery technologies decrease the energy return ratios of wind generation below curtailment ratios. Despite this, the life-cycle (Scope 2 and 3) GHG emissions of all wind-storage pairings considered here are lower (better) than that of the average U.S. power grid. The lowest carbon storage technologies are PSH, vanadium redox, and lithium-ion. A detailed update on lithium-ion battery storage is provided as it is the most readily deployable and commercially available storage option to date. Reducing embodied energy costs, increasing efficiency, and increasing depth of discharge will improve the energetic and carbon performance of batteries. On an energetic and carbon performance basis, wind energy paired with storage performs better than the average U.S. power grid and natural gas combustion turbines, which are often used for peak demand.