Determining the appropriate discount rate and term of energy storage is the key to properly valuing future cash flows. A battery of 1kWh will deliver less than 1kWh throughout its lifetime.
Although academic analysis finds that business models for energy storage are largely unprofitable, annual deployment of storage capacity is globally on the rise (IEA, 2020). One reason may be generous subsidy support and non-financial drivers like a first-mover advantage (Wood Mackenzie, 2019).
Business Models for Energy Storage Rows display market roles, columns reflect types of revenue streams, and boxes specify the business model around an application. Each of the three parameters is useful to systematically differentiate investment opportunities for energy storage in terms of applicable business models.
How can energy storage be profitable?
Where a profitable application of energy storage requires saving of costs or deferral of investments, direct mechanisms, such as subsidies and rebates, will be effective. For applications dependent on price arbitrage, the existence and access to variable market prices are essential.
Are electricity storage technologies a viable investment option?
Although electricity storage technologies could provide useful flexibility to modern power systems with substantial shares of power generation from intermittent renewables, investment opportunities and their profitability have remained ambiguous.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) took a first step and published a framework of eleven rules prescribing when energy storage is allowed to provide multiple services. The framework delineates which combinations are permitted and how business models should be prioritized (American Public Power Association, 2018).
The most examined technologies are again CAES (27 profitability estimates), batteries (25), and pumped hydro (10). Recent deployments of storage capacity confirm the trend for improved investment conditions (U.S. Department of Energy, 2020).