At-a-Glance:
A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Battery Storage in the United States: An Update on Market Trends, analyzes how large-scale battery storage capacity increased exponentially in the latter half of the 2010’s and what drove this rapid adjustment. From 2010 to 2018, the amount of installed battery capacity increased more than tenfold. To learn more, read “Battery adoption skyrocketed in the 2010s and lithium-ion reigns supreme.”
Key Takeaways:
- In 2010, the U.S. was home to just seven large-scale battery storage systems, which accounted for a total of 59 MW of power capacity.
- In 2015, the number of projects squared to 49 systems accounted for 351 MW of power capacity.
- In 2018, the total number of operational battery storage systems increased by more than 150% to 125, as did power capacity, clocking in at a total of 869 MW installed.
- As of 2018, over 90% of large-scale battery storage power capacity was provided by batteries based on lithium‐ion chemistries.
Path to 100% Perspective:
Battery storage adoption is rising, as highlighted in this latest report, with lithium-ion batteries representing the largest sector of large-scale battery storage power capacity. This upwards trend bodes well for an acceleration of the 100% renewable energy; however, more wide-spread adoption, lower costs and greater storage capacity will be needed before the electricity sector can fully transition to battery storage with renewable sources.
Photo: EDF