Distributed solar combined with energy storage technology increases grid flexibility

Distributed solar and energy storage technologies play a key role
in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing grid flexibility, and improving access to energy.
Combining distributed solar and energy storage technologies has their own advantages, especially by enabling continuous power supply at night, increasing output during available generation hours, and improving grid flexibility
.

In distributed communities and rooftop systems, the combination of distributed solar and energy storage technologies can also reduce pressure on the distribution network and delay or reduce infrastructure investments
.
At the macro level, energy storage and solar power can reduce carbon emissions
by increasing solar facility penetration without major changes.
The combination of energy storage technology and solar power generation can also serve as a fast track
to electrification in emerging markets.

The cost of solar power technology has dropped significantly over the past two decades and will continue to decline
.
At the same time, in the total cost of residential photovoltaic installation, labor and regulatory supervision bring an increasing
proportion of costs.
In terms of energy storage, it is less certain whether it can reduce costs, because the technical cost of the battery itself is greater than the labor cost
.
If the combination of solar and energy storage technology is to become a viable option for both mature and emerging markets, energy storage technology still needs to significantly reduce costs
.

While energy storage technology can increase the overall value of solar energy, it is not the only one
.
Other options include improved renewable energy forecast accuracy, improved demand responsiveness and increased flexible loads, heat storage technologies and emerging technologies
such as power-to-gas.
In emerging markets, improving grid reliability by producing portions of electricity from lower-priced coal could also undermine the value
of combining distributed solar with energy storage.