Abstract
Summary
While the current electrical grid is a modern marvel, the smart grid of the
future will include significant electrical storage as part of the solution to
increase the grids efficiency, enhance reliability, and help reduce the
environmental impact of supplying the electrical power needs of modern
society. As a result, NanoMarkets believes chemical batteries,
ultra-capacitors, and the materials from which they are built represent an
exciting business opportunity that is poised to take off in the near future.
This report is designed to quantify that opportunity and identify the best
strategies to capitalize on it.
By 2016 there will be 33 GW of generating capacity on the grid from solar
panels and wind farms that can swing wildly in their ability to generate
electrical power at any given time. Electrical storage will be a requirement
to level the load when the sun doesn' t shine or the wind doesn' t blow in a
predictable manner. In addition to load leveling, grid storage will allow peak
shaving where stored electricity from non peak demand periods can be used
during peak load times. Peak shaving can reduce the need for new power plants
and reduce the grids overall carbon footprint.
Chemical batteries and ultra-capacitors represent complimentary pieces of the
smart grid storage equation with ultra-capacitors used for smoothing short
term disruptions in power quality and batteries storing current for longer
term load leveling and peak shaving applications. While other technologies
such as hydro and compressed air storage will certainly be integral parts to
the overall storage solution, batteries and ultra-capacitor storage represent
a large attractive near term materials growth sector.
This new market study of materials for chemical batteries and ultra-capacitors
for smart grid applications surveys and analyzes the markets for the various
battery and ultra-capacitor types currently in use and about to enter service
in smart grid applications as well as R&D developments, including those
related to systems. As with all NanoMarkets reports, this report includes a
detailed eight year forecast of materials for smart grid storage applications
and an in-depth discussion of key firms active in the area.
Methodology
The primary source for the opinions and conclusions in this report is
extensive interviews with various industry and academic sources carried out by
NanoMarkets. Secondary research for this report was taken from information
available on the World Wide Web, commercial and government databases, trade
press articles, technical literature, information learned at technical
conferences and trade shows, SEC filings and other corporate literature. The
forecasting approach taken in this report is explained in more detail in
Chapter Four.
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