“Clean energy + energy storage” is the direction of the future energy revolution

“Without the support of energy storage solutions, the possibility of photovoltaics replacing conventional energy sources in the next 20 years is almost zero.” Recently, Xie Xiaoping, chairman of State Power Investment Corporation Yellow River Upstream Hydropower Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Yellow River Company), told the media express.

On June 1, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the “Notice on Matters Concerning Photovoltaic Power Generation in 2018” (known in the industry as the “531” New Deal), which has unprecedented control over the photovoltaic industry, including restrictions on the scale of new construction Measures such as reducing subsidy intensity and electricity prices have been called “the most stringent photovoltaic policy in history” by the industry.

After the “531” new policy was issued, the demand for installed capacity of photovoltaic power plants in China has shrunk sharply, and the photovoltaic market has experienced turmoil. Many small and medium-sized photovoltaic manufacturing companies that only focus on the domestic market are facing the dilemma of suspending production or even going bankrupt. This also indirectly affects the large-scale development of the energy storage industry.

He pointed out that “clean energy + energy storage” is the direction of the future energy revolution. “Due to the defects of intermittency and volatility, photovoltaics cannot exist independently in the grid. Only when the energy storage industry develops to a certain extent or supplemented by other energy sources can it replace conventional energy sources.” Xie Xiaoping said.

energy storage

“Photovoltaic + energy storage” will become the cheapest energy

Li Zhenguo, President of Longji Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of photovoltaic products, said in an interview, “Within ten years, ‘photovoltaic + energy storage’ will become the cheapest energy. It is inevitable that photovoltaics will replace traditional fossil energy.”

Li Zhenguo proposed the concept of “combined energy storage”. Due to the discontinuity of solar energy, energy storage is a major problem affecting the development of the photovoltaic industry. However, Li Zhenguo believes that the energy storage problem is not difficult to solve, but there are many solutions. “Future energy will not simply rely on a certain form of energy storage, but a combination of multiple solutions.” He said that the current cost of chemical energy storage has dropped to one-third of what it was ten years ago, and that water is pumped and stored based on the difference in terrain It may also be a more mature solution. In addition, the popularity of electric vehicles will also play a major role in the energy balance.

“Photovoltaic + energy storage is the ultimate solution for human future energy,” said Li Zhenguo. Once combined with energy storage, the unlimited solar energy and the economy of photovoltaic power generation will inevitably make photovoltaics replace traditional fossil energy in the future.

But when it comes to the application of this model, Li Zhenguo said frankly that the model of combining photovoltaic power generation and energy storage is still on the way. He believes that hydropower and photovoltaics are very complementary. For example, in the dry season and low water season, solar energy is generally abundant, and photovoltaic power generation can be used, while hydropower generation can be used in the wet season; to the balance between power generation and energy storage. “But the current model of combining hydropower and photovoltaics has not been fully utilized,” Li Zhenguo said.

He believes that by 2030, photovoltaics will have the conditions to replace traditional energy on a large scale, and the scale of photovoltaics may reach the initial stage of the kilowatt-level.