Grid Storage

The utility industry is beset with novel grid technologies for electricity transmission, distribution, storage, and distributed generation. Governments world-wide are pouring billions of dollars into these technologies, as they are billed as having the potential to both improve the existing power grid as well integrate renewable resources like solar and wind onto the grid on a large scale. Corporations and investors that fail to recognize the momentum in these sectors, do so at their own peril.

With intense competition heating up among some of the largest conglomerates in the world, it is hard to know which technologies have the differentiation necessary to win in the long term. Many business models will fail because developers fail to find profitable niches for their products within the complex highly-regulated utility universe. In our on-going coverage of the Grid Storage space, Lux Research helps companies, by answering these key questions:

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  • Which markets have growth potential and which are overhyped
  • How do technologies measure-up in terms of cost and performance
  • How can I make a viable business model for grid storage, fuel cells, and advanced grid hardware
  • Who has access to critical IP
  • Which companies are ahead of the curve and which are laggards
  • What is the smart grid and how will utilities combine networking, software, and hardware to utilize it

Sample topics covered by Lux Research:

Technologies:

Energy Storage
  • Lithium-ion batteries
  • Lead carbon batteries
  • Flow batteries
  • Molten salt batteries
  • Metal-air batteries
  • Flywheels
  • Ultracapacitors
Components
  • Cathode
  • Anode
  • Electrolyte
  • Separator/membrane
  • Non-active
Demand control
  • Demand response
  • Real-time demand management

Applications:

Utility storage

  • Peak shaving and upgrade deferral
  • Ancillary services
  • Renewable shifting and integration
  • Energy arbitrage

Distributed storage

  • Residential energy storage
  • Commercial energy storage
  • Community energy storage

Off-grid storage

  • Telecommunication backup
  • Uninterruptable power supply (UPS)
  • Rural power and generator replacement

Companies:

  • Silver Spring Networks
  • BloomEnergy
  • Better Place
  • Sequentric
  • Current
  • EnerNOC
  • Comverge
  • American Superconductor
  • BYD
  • Itron
  • Landis + Gyr
  • View a sample Company Profile