Do investors underestimate the value of energy storage?

While energy storage is already being deployed to support grids across major power markets, new McKinsey analysis suggests investors often underestimate the value of energy storage in their business cases.

Can energy storage be a strategic investment under competition?

These market dynamics serve as a motivation for this study to understand strategic investments in energy storage under competition, taking into account storage impact on the market price. Our work uses energy arbitrage as a test case with the intent to explore additional services in the future.

Is energy storage a price-taker?

Energy storage can provide a range of revenue streams for investors in electricity markets. However, as their deployments continue to rise, storage will no longer be a player on the sidelines and remain a price-taker, rather, these assets will start to impact prices.

Why do companies invest in energy-storage devices?

Historically, companies, grid operators, independent power providers, and utilities have invested in energy-storage devices to provide a specific benefit, either for themselves or for the grid. As storage costs fall, ownership will broaden and many new business models will emerge.

Why do energy storage projects need project financing?

The rapid growth in the energy storage market is similarly driving demand for project financing. The general principles of project finance that apply to the financing of solar and wind projects also apply to energy storage projects.

What is the value of energy storage?

1. Introduction The value of energy storage has been well catalogued for the power sector, where storage can provide a range of services (e.g., load shifting, frequency regulation, generation backup, transmission support) to the power grid and generate revenues for investors .