Grid-Scale Batteries Make Sense for Solar Energy, but Not Wind, Study Says

When renewable energy sources such as solar and wind farms generate more electricity than consumers need, storing the excess doesn't always make sense, say researchers from Stanford University.


It's not sensible to build energetically expensive batteries for an energetically cheap resource like wind." Economically, it makes more sense to shut down wind energy production when consumer demand is low than it does to maintain battery systems to store excess wind energy, the study said.  But battery storage does make sense for photovoltaic systems, the researchers say, because solar panels and solar farms require more energy to build and maintain.

Grid-Scale Batteries Make Sense for Solar Energy, but Not Wind, Study Says