Can the internet be used to store energy

Why do we need energy storage?

As the cost of solar and wind power has in many places dropped below fossil fuels, the need for cheap and abundant energy storage has become a key challenge for building an energy system that does not emit greenhouse gases or contribute to climate change.

How do utilities store energy?

However, utilities also need to store a lot of energy for indefinite amounts of time. This is a role for renewable fuels like hydrogen and ammonia. Utilities would store energy in these fuels by producing them with surplus power, when wind turbines and solar panels are generating more electricity than the utilities’ customers need.

How can energy be stored?

Energy can also be stored by making fuels such as hydrogen, which can be burned when energy is most needed. Pumped hydroelectricity, the most common form of large-scale energy storage, uses excess energy to pump water uphill, then releases the water later to turn a turbine and make electricity.

Are Internet-connected technologies a key to a cleaner energy future?

Such internet-connected technologies are already playing a key role in the transition to a cleaner energy future; for example, home smart meters being rolled out across many countries help monitor and therefore reduce household energy usage. But as we rely on the internet to process, use and store ever more data, the power it uses is increasing.

What is energy storage?

Energy storage is a technology that holds energy at one time so it can be used at another time. Building more energy storage allows renewable energy sources like wind and solar to power more of our electric grid.

How does energy storage work?

Pumped hydroelectricity, the most common form of large-scale energy storage, uses excess energy to pump water uphill, then releases the water later to turn a turbine and make electricity. Compressed air energy storage works similarly, but by pressurizing air instead of water.