What are the business models for large energy storage systems?

The business models for large energy storage systems like PHS and CAES are changing. Their role is tradition-ally to support the energy system, where large amounts of baseload capacity cannot deliver enough flexibility to respond to changes in demand during the day.

How do business models of energy storage work?

Building upon both strands of work, we propose to characterize business models of energy storage as the combination of an application of storage with the revenue stream earned from the operation and the market role of the investor.

Are energy storage business models fully developed?

E Though the business models are not yet fully developed, the cases indicate some initial trends for energy storage technology. Energy storage is becoming an independent asset class in the energy system; it is neither part of transmission and distribution, nor generation. We see four key lessons emerging from the cases.

Can energy storage disrupt business models?

Energy storage has the potential to disrupt business models. Energy storage has been around for a long time. Ales-sandro Volta invented the battery in 1800. Even earlier, in 1749, Benjamin Franklin had conducted the first ex-periments. And the first pumped hydro storage facili-ties (PHS) were built in Italy and Switzerland in 1890.

Are energy storage projects ready for a bright future?

In anticipation of a bright future, the first projects with energy storage are being set up. We have analyzed some of these cases and clustered them according to their po-sition in the energy value chain and the type of revenues associated with the business model.

What is a business model for storage?

We propose to characterize a “business model” for storage by three parameters: the application of a storage facility, the market role of a potential investor, and the revenue stream obtained from its operation (Massa et al., 2017).