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NO FREE LUNCH: THE INCREASING NEED FOR ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Matthew Minnick, Supervisor, Energy

Sam Voegeli, Market Sector Lead, Energy

Dan Imer, Senior Staff Engineer IV, Energy

The global energy landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as nations and industries grapple with the dual imperatives of reducing carbon emissions and ensuring a stable and ever-increasing energy supply. The need to responsibly meet a growing energy demand is fraught with complexities and challenges, encapsulated in the concept of "no free lunch,” a principle that underscores the reality that every energy source has its trade-offs, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to our energy needs.

Intermittent energies, such as wind and solar, are fantastic when the conditions are right, but they don't work around the clock. These sources are subject to capacity factors that limit their power generation to a fraction of their potential output. This is where the energy gap comes into play—those times when the sun sets or the wind dies down. Solar panels, for instance, may only produce electricity 20 to 25 percent of the time, while wind turbines might reach 30 to 40 percent at best.

“Intermittent renewables have their place in our energy mix,” explains Dr. Matt Minnick, RESPEC’s Geothermal and Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) Program Manager. “However, there’s no escaping the fact that they come with limitations. We need a comprehensive approach that leverages all technologies.”

Learn More About Our Geothermal Work

The necessity for energy storage has never been more pronounced. As we integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid, we must develop ways to store excess energy and deliver it when demand peaks. Compressed air energy storage offers the promise of capturing energy for later use. Converting excess electricity into other energy types, such as hydrogen, presents another avenue for storage and utilization. Hydrogen can be burned in turbines to produce power when needed, offering a potential green baseload and peaking energy source.

“Energy storage provides a solution for any future energy crisis. It ensures that even when energy is in high demand, and intermittent energies are not available, we have an energy supply ready to go,” says Sam Voegeli, RESPEC’s Energy Sector Lead.

Geothermal energy is another contender. Geothermal energy emerges as a consistent power source, providing continuous energy with a high-capacity factor. It might cost more to start, but looking at the full lifecycle costs of our energy choices is important. Geothermal energy is cost-competitive or better than wind and solar energy when energy storage is considered to put the intermittent energy sources at the same capacity level.

Intermittent energies seem cheap at first glance, but the picture changes when you add the low-capacity factor and cost of keeping the lights on when they're not producing. Take California, for example. The state’s experience with solar power is a lesson in balance. Too much of a good thing led to a "duck curve," where there was too much power during the day and not enough when everyone went home and turned on their lights. This imbalance has forced California to curtail solar production and reconsider its energy strategy.

On the other hand, geothermal energy might be expensive to set up, but it's like buying a house instead of renting—the investment pays off over time. Despite its higher initial investment, it’s a stable energy source that may offer better long-term value because of its reliability and consistent output. A thermal energy project at Joint Base Andrews shows how we can store energy in the ground and use it to heat and cool buildings, cutting both costs and carbon.

But humans will continue to produce carbon emissions. Such is the way of nature and industry. RESPEC’s CCUS expert Dan Imer notes that CCUS projects offer a way to clean the grid as we maintain coal and gas plants. By capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and sequestering them underground, CCUS can improve the viability of fossil fuel-based power sources. This approach prevents the captured carbon dioxide from contributing to atmospheric greenhouse gas levels.

The balance between emissions reduction and economic considerations is a delicate one. CCUS is far from a silver bullet. It’s not cheap, but it's an important part of the mix as we work toward decarbonization and will play a huge role in reducing carbon emissions by 2050.

CCUS technologies can capture more than 90 percent of CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial factories.

Carbon capture can achieve 14 percent of the global greenhouse gas emission reductions needed by 2050.

The path to a decarbonized energy system isn't straightforward, but it's one we're already walking. Combining different technologies—renewables and storage—creates a system that's both reliable and clean. Ongoing efforts to balance economic, environmental, and practical factors are essential as we navigate each step. And our choices now will set the stage for the future—but there's reason to be optimistic about our progress.

"We are making huge strides in decarbonization,” says Imer. “From the outside, it may seem slow. But when I think of it from an industry perspective, it's moving along at almost like a breakneck pace."