Reliability in Reserve Long-Duration Energy Storage for an Abundant American Energy Future
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Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is any storage technology that can supply energy—typically as electricity, and in some cases as heat—continuously for at least ten consecutive hours at full power. LDES systems offer an alternative to shorter-duration energy storage technologies like lithium-ion batteries. There are three main storage classifications for LDES: inter-day, multi-day, and seasonal shifting. Inter-day storage provides 10 to 36 hours of energy, while multi-day storage extends that range from 36 to 160 hours of energy. Seasonal shifting storage offers energy over extended durations exceeding 160 hours, often spanning several months. LDES is a diverse technology class with a range of forms, including electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical energy storage. It is a flexible resource with many potential end users, including electric utilities, data centers, critical facilities such as hospitals and military bases (sometimes with microgrids), remote communities, and heat-intensive industrial operations.
