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ENERGY STORAGE: THE KEY TO GLOBAL SOLAR By Berit Anderson _____ Why Read: With the clean-energy transition in full speed, this week's report explores the challenges and opportunities in the next five years of the energy storage market.
At this year's FiRe conference, we're challenging some of the most brilliant energy minds we know to solve how to maximize global solar development in the next five years. SNS members who have read Evan Anderson's recent Global Report are already familiar with this year's CTO Design Challenge: "Plan A: Global Solar Now." Evan very eloquently explained the entire concept, so I won't go into further detail beyond a short reminder about why solar (cheap, universally available, easy to deploy quickly) and why now (we don't have 20 years; we have 5). Some folks in the renewable space believe that solar has "already been figured out" and is therefore not worth further attention. That's a bit like a football coach saying that his team already knows how to play the game, so they should just go ahead and take the trophy already. There are plenty of challenges left to solve - technical, logistical, political - that would allow for the maximization of solar systems worldwide. What manufacturing scale-ups are needed to supply the world with panels and energy storage? What shipping infrastructure and trade deals need to be implemented? What marketing campaigns will convince homeowners and businesses to cover their roofs and yards? What policies will unlock the benefits of solar for renters and low-income homeowners who can't afford the infrastructure costs? Today, I'm diving into energy storage - the good, the bad, and the ugly. |
