Introduction and Overview

While solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, key concerns around solar power’s inherent variability threaten to de-rail that scale-up . Currently, integration of intermittent solar resources into the grid creates added complication to load management, leading some utilities to reject it altogether, while other operators may penalize the producers via rate increases or force solar developers to include storage devices on-site to smooth out power delivery at the point of production. However these efforts at mitigation unfold, it is increasingly clear to parties on all sides that energy storage will be pivotally important in the drive to boost the integration of variable renewable sources into power infrastructures across the globe. Thoughtfully implemented storage technologies can reduce peak demand, improve day-to-day reliability, provide emergency power in case of interrupted generation, reduce consumer and utility costs by easing load balance challenges, decrease emissions, and increase the amount of distributed and renewable energy that makes it into the grid. While energy storage has long been an area of concern for scientists and engineers, there has been no comprehensive single text covering the storage methods available to solar power producers, which leaves a lamentable gap in the literature core to this important field. Solar Energy Storage aims to become the authoritative work on the topic, incorporating contributions from an internationally recognized group of top authors from both industry and academia, focused on providing information from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications, and emphasizing the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. Expert contributing authors explain current and emergent storage technologies for solar, thermal, and photovoltaic applications. Sheds light on the economic status of solar storage facilities, including case studies of the particular challenges that solar energy systems present to remote locations. Includes information on: chemical storage mechanisms, mechanical storage tactics, pumped hydro, thermal storage, and storage strategies for systems of all sizes—from centralized utilities to distributed generation. While solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the world, key concerns around solar power’s inherent variability threaten to de-rail that scale-up . Currently, integration of intermittent solar resources into the grid creates added complication to load management, leading some utilities to reject it altogether, while other operators may penalize the producers via rate increases or force solar developers to include storage devices on-site to smooth out power delivery at the point of production. However these efforts at mitigation unfold, it is increasingly clear to parties on all sides that energy storage will be pivotally important in the drive to boost the integration of variable renewable sources into power infrastructures across the globe. Thoughtfully implemented storage technologies can reduce peak demand, improve day-to-day reliability, provide emergency power in case of interrupted generation, reduce consumer and utility costs by easing load balance challenges, decrease emissions, and increase the amount of distributed and renewable energy that makes it into the grid. While energy storage has long been an area of concern for scientists and engineers, there has been no comprehensive single text covering the storage methods available to solar power producers, which leaves a lamentable gap in the literature core to this important field. __Solar Energy Storage__ aims to become the authoritative work on the topic, incorporating contributions from an internationally recognized group of top authors from both industry and academia, focused on providing information from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications, and emphasizing the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. Content: Front Matter, Pages i-ii Copyright, Page iv Contributors, Pages xiii-xiv Preface, Page xv Chapter 1 - Introduction and Overview, Pages 1-4 Chapter 2 - Solar Electrical Energy Storage, Pages 7-25 Chapter 3 - Innovative Systems for Storage of Thermal Solar Energy in Buildings, Pages 27-62 Chapter 4 - Assessment of Electricity Storage Systems, Pages 63-114 Chapter 5 - Storage of Solar Thermal Energy in Dependency of Geographical and Climatic Boundary Conditions, Pages 115-133 Chapter 6 - Sorption Heat Storage, Pages 135-154 Chapter 7 - Energetic Complementarity with Hydropower and the Possibility of Storage in Batteries and Water Reservoirs, Pages 155-188 Chapter 8 - Revitalization of Hydro Energy: A New Approach for Storing Solar Energy, Pages 189-206 Chapter 9 - Photovoltaics and Storage Plants: Efficient Capacities in a System View, Pages 209-223 Chapter 10 - Economics of Solar PV Systems with Storage, in Main Grid and Mini-Grid Settings, Pages 225-244 Chapter 11 - Environmental Issues Associated with Solar Electric and Thermal Systems with Storage, Pages 247-271 Chapter 12 - Consumer Perceptions and Acceptance of PV Systems with Energy Storage, Pages 273-288 Chapter 13 - Photovoltaic-Energy Storage Systems for Remote Small Islands, Pages 291-326 Chapter 14 - Solar Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Cookers, Pages 327-358 Chapter 15 - Isolated and Mini-Grid Solar PV Systems: An Alternative Solution for Providing Electricity Access in Remote Areas (Case Study from Nepal), Pages 359-374 Index, Pages 375-383 Focuses on energy stores suitable for integration into solar energy systems for delivering electric or thermal power to the end-users and emphasizes the latest technological developments driving this discipline forward. The book incorporates contributions from an internationally-recognized group of top authors, from both industry and academia, to provide information on issues ranging from underlying scientific fundamentals to practical applications