Thermal energy storage (TES) is more cost-effective than battery storage in specific industries, particularly those requiring high-temperature heat for industrial processes and large-scale, long-duration energy needs. Several key industries and scenarios highlight TES’s cost advantages over batteries:
Industries Where TES is More Cost-Effective
- High-Temperature Industrial Processes: Industries like steel, glass, and chemicals benefit significantly from TES because thermal energy can be stored at very high temperatures (up to 1,300°C), which is difficult and expensive to achieve with battery storage. TES can deliver heat for processes such as steam production or chemical reactions much more economically and efficiently than batteries or hydrogen, especially for stable, continuous operation.
- Process Heat in Manufacturing: Industrial sectors consuming large amounts of heat—often two-thirds of industrial energy use—find TES advantageous. Thermal storage enables decarbonization by replacing fossil-based heat generation with renewables and storing excess renewable electricity as heat for later use. This flexibility allows industries to avoid peak electricity costs and grid congestion fees, resulting in reported energy cost savings of 30-150% compared to traditional process heat.
- Food Manufacturing and Cold Storage: TES technologies, such as cold thermal energy storage using phase change materials, are well-suited for industries with high and fluctuating cooling demands like food manufacturing. They provide cost-effective, renewable cooling solutions where batteries might not be as efficient or economical.
Why TES Outperforms Batteries in These Sectors
| Feature/Criteria | Thermal Energy Storage | Battery Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature Capability | Can store heat at very high temperatures (up to ~1300°C) suitable for industrial heat processes | Batteries store electrical energy; additional conversion needed for heat |
| Cost per Energy Unit | Very low cost, e.g., $2-$4 per kWh thermal (particle TES with sand as medium) | Higher cost per kWh, especially for large scale and long-duration storage |
| Scale and Duration | Easily scalable for large volumes and long-duration storage (hours to months) | Generally better for shorter duration (hours) and limited scale |
| Materials and Environmental Impact | Uses abundant, inexpensive, and environmentally benign materials like sand, molten salts | Uses rare and expensive materials (e.g., lithium, cobalt), with mining impacts |
| Suitability for Process Heat | Directly stores and releases heat, eliminating energy conversion losses | Requires conversion from stored electricity to heat, less efficient |
| Grid and Price Flexibility | Can shift low-cost renewable electricity into stored heat for later peak use | Batteries can store electricity but less efficient for direct heat applications |
Additional Considerations
- TES technologies can store surplus renewable electricity (e.g., wind or solar) as heat when prices are low or generation is abundant, then release it when demand is high or renewable generation dips, improving grid stability and reducing costs.
- TES systems like particle thermal energy storage developed by NREL use inexpensive and widely available materials (e.g., silica sand), enabling modular, flexible, and location-independent deployment at costs much lower than lithium-ion batteries for equivalent usable energy.
- TES is pivotal in sectors where continuous, reliable heat is crucial and where electrification of heat demands is challenging due to high temperatures and process requirements.
Summary
Thermal energy storage is particularly cost-effective and advantageous over battery storage in industries that:
- Require high-temperature heat (steel, glass, chemicals)
- Have large, fluctuating thermal energy demands (food manufacturing, industrial steam)
- Need long-duration, large-scale energy storage to balance renewable generation and demand
- Seek to reduce operational energy costs and greenhouse emissions through renewable electrification
Thus, TES is emerging as the preferred storage technology for decarbonizing industrial heat and process energy in these sectors, offering substantial economic and environmental benefits over batteries.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/are-there-specific-industries-where-thermal-energy-storage-is-more-cost-effective-than-battery-storage/
