Energy storage

Energy storage is useful when energy is harvested at a different time from when it's used. For example, electricity must be used very quickly after it's been made (within milliseconds). Energy storage would be needed if the electrical grid starts relying on large amounts of intermittent electricity sources like wind power. Below is a list of the different types of energy storage that have been proposed. Click the links below to learn more about each type of energy storage.

Storage Type Form of energy stored Technology
Mechanical Potential

Kinetic
Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
Pumped storage
Flywheels
Electrical Electrostatic

Magnetic
Capacitors
Supercapacitors
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Chemical Chemical
Electrochemical
Thermochemical
Batteries
Fuel cells
Fuels from solar power
Thermal High temperature thermal
Sensible heat storage
Latent heat storage