Advances on Application of Modern Energy Storage Technologies

To combat the escalating environmental concerns and particularly the increased CO
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emission of the last century, the international society is remarkably accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources (RES) and their integration into the existing grid. Because they almost do not emit any carbon dioxide or other pollutants, RES have a huge potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, renewable energy sources are dependent on generating energy from solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal. These energy sources are typically dependent on the time of year, and weather conditions. The energy obtained from the RES can be stored with the help of a variety of methods, and then used consistently and under control as needed to reduce the effect of the sporadic nature of renewable energy sources. The total capacity of energy storage systems currently is around 118 000 GW/h. The most important characteristics, subcategories, applications, and research prospective of major types of energy storage systems are discussed.