In this article, we explore three business models for commercial and industrial energy storage: owner-owned investment, energy management contracts, and financial leasing.
Building upon both strands of work, we propose to characterize business models of energy storage as the combination of an application of storage with the revenue stream earned from the operation and the market role of the investor.
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).
What is a business model for storage?
We propose to characterize a “business model” for storage by three parameters: the application of a storage facility, the market role of a potential investor, and the revenue stream obtained from its operation (Massa et al., 2017).
Which technologies convert electrical energy to storable energy?
These technologies convert electrical energy to various forms of storable energy. For mechanical storage, we focus on flywheels, pumped hydro, and compressed air energy storage (CAES). Thermal storage refers to molten salt technology. Chemical storage technologies include supercapacitors, batteries, and hydrogen.
What is long-term storage?
Similarly, the term “long-term storage” is reflected in the business models Trading arbitrage, Black start energy, Backup energy, or Self-sufficiency, depending on the actual implementation of the storage facility. Investors can pursue multiple business models with a single storage capacity if market regulation permits.
Is energy storage a'renewable integration' or 'generation firming'?
The literature on energy storage frequently includes “renewable integration” or “generation firming” as applications for storage (Eyer and Corey, 2010; Zafirakis et al., 2013; Pellow et al., 2020).