Energy response to peaks and troughs of energy generation . These various approaches can all contribute to alleviating grid constraints .
Renewable energy solutions and technologies
Storage is one of many attractive options that would provide energy system flexibility , as it can be deployed quickly and modularly when and where flexibility is needed . Pumpedstorage hydropower , for example , is the most widely used storage technology and has significant potential in several regions .
Batteries are the most scalable type of grid-scale storage , from which the market has seen strong growth in recent years . Battery storage allows for energy to be either held on the site where it was generated or after it has been exported to the energy grid . Increasing the number of batteries will reduce the incidence of curtailment and its associated costs because excess energy can be saved for later use .
In theory , storage can be paired with any energy service . As such , better energy storage technologies would open up opportunities to integrate larger quantities of renewable energy into the energy system as a whole , thus helping to replace fossil fuels in a variety of applications .
Decarbonizing heat
While energy discourse has traditionally focused on power generation and use , here in the UK we use gas ( oil in rural areas ) to heat our buildings . Decarbonization of heat means ending fossil fuel combustion - effectively the electrification of heat , and the biggest energy infrastructure investment since the UK left coal behind in the 1960s . Doing this will involve optimizing a complex equation that includes new heating infrastructure and the inevitable power grid reinforcement costs in addition to building fabric improvements to achieve the lowest cost low carbon heat solution .
But the benefits of successful decarbonization of heat are huge : coming off gas increases national security of supply while mitigating contributions to climate change . Heat networks – which can use heat sources including rivers , data centers , or even the London Underground to drive heat generation – will clearly be part of the climate adaptation and resilience solution . Mature heat network markets like Denmark are finding that they can also provide useful renewable electricity storage and balancing in the simple form of hot water . Heat zoning pilots are taking place now across England , testing approaches to provide lowest cost , low carbon heat to the endconsumer , with the government committing to introduce heat zoning in England by 2025 .
Scaling renewable energy infrastructure
Energy security has never been so high up the agenda as it has been in recent times , but the key takeaway should be that we do have the existing technology to achieve the green energy transition . The first step is for all stakeholders to accept that renewable energy must lead front and center . Only then will we identify opportunities to increasingly incorporate the effective , renewable solutions that we urgently need . We all know if something isn ’ t working , it ’ s time to try a different approach . Energy supply is by no means different . ■
Carl Winkle https :// uk . ramboll . com
Carl Winkle is Chief Engineer and Lucy Padfield is Director , at Ramboll . Ramboll is a global architecture , engineering , and consultancy company founded in Denmark in 1945 . Its 17,000 experts create sustainable solutions across Buildings , Transport , Energy , Environment & Health , Water , Management Consulting and Architecture & Landscape .
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