Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Solar Energy Storage Systems

As a result of solar energy's intermittent nature, the growth in worldwide usage will be constrained until reliable and low-cost technology for storing solar energy becomes available. The sun's energy is stored on a daily basis by nature through the process of photosynthesis in foodstuffs, wood and other biomass. The storage of energy from intermittent and random solar radiation can be achieved artificially, by using energy storage technologies (thermal storage, chemically-charged batteries, hydro storage, flywheels, hydrogen, and compressed air), some well-known and widely-applied, whilst others are still under development.

Thermal storage for solar heat and chemically-charged batteries for off-grid PV systems are the most widely used solar energy storage systems today.  However, there are many who think that hydrogen produced using solar energy will provide the long-term solution for solar energy storage and much research is being undertaken around the world. Only the future will tell whether hydrogen will become cost-effective as compared with other storage options.