Overview
The role of energy storage is subject to an intense debate internationally. This debate reflects a lack of consensus to date around the techno-economic potential and respective merits of the various energy storage technologies at play due to the wide spectrum of possible applications and markets, as well as the potential to deliver multiple services, which makes the economic assessment difficult. When it comes to the potential of energy storage in Switzerland, no comprehensive cost-based analysis considering the potential role of bulk and distributed technologies has been performed to date that could inform a comprehensive national energy storage strategy.
The objective of the proposed research project is to address this gap by performing a holistic investigation of the role of competing and/or complementary electric, thermal and chemical energy storage technologiesin achieving greater penetration of renewable energy technologies and more efficient and effective use of energy in the context of the Swiss energy transition.
In the first task, comprehensive, detailed and robust information and data on the status of, and prospects for, technical and cost performance of selected storage technologies will be collected to serve as a basis for an expert elicitation exercise. Expert elicitation will use a formal methodology and dedicated, structured protocols to account for expert judgment beyond well-established knowledge. This will help identify drivers of future cost reduction and technical improvement, and deliver cost and performance estimates under a range of scenarios. All storage and conversion technologies retained after pre-screening will be characterized with a set of parameters describing these at an appropriate level of detail for techno-economic modelling and optimization. As second task, two distinct but complementary models will be developed to allow for a comprehensive investigation of energy storage. Finally, a comparative analysis across various scenarios under the two modelling approaches will be performed within the third task, including sensitivity analysis around key boundary conditions. Conclusions will be drawn with regard to the feasibility and value proposition of the deployment of energy storage technologies at scale, of their potential role in the future of the Swiss energy system as well as of the role and implications of different policy measures.
