Renewable energy storage market to hit 21.8 GW by 2023

Variable generation will boost need for energy storage systems.

A report by Navigant Research said the rise in capacity of solar and wind energy storage systems or ESS will be caused by increased renewable energy generation making the grid increasingly unstable.

It said several of the major markets for renewables including Japan, Germany and the United States have enacted rules or legislation encouraging the adoption of ESS to integrate variable energy sources onto the grid.

“These market incentives come in various forms, including outright subsidies for ESS adoption, reforms that change how variable generation is compensated, and adjustments to connection requirements for variable power plants,” it said.

Navigant believes grid operators will be forced to adapt to increasing levels of variable generation on their systems.