The differences between new energy storage, stand-alone energy storage, and grid-side energy storage are as follows:
1. Definition and Scope
New Energy Storage: This refers to energy storage projects that primarily output electricity and provide services, excluding pumped hydro storage. It encompasses various technologies such as electrochemical energy storage, compressed air energy storage, flywheel energy storage, superconducting energy storage, supercapacitor energy storage, and hydrogen energy storage. This classification is based on technological dimensions.
Stand-alone Energy Storage:This refers to new energy storage projects that possess independent metering and control technologies, are connected to the dispatch automation system for grid monitoring and dispatch, comply with relevant standards and regulations, and meet the requirements of power market operators. These projects have legal person status and emphasize business model and identity. This is a specific form of new energy storage.
Grid-side Energy Storage:This refers to energy storage facilities built at dedicated sites, directly connected to the public grid, and primarily designed to serve power system operation (such as peak shaving, frequency regulation, and delaying grid upgrades). This focuses on application location and function.
2. Operating Entities and Service Targets
New Energy Storage: Operating entities are diverse, including power generation companies, grid companies, user-side companies, or third-party investment operators. Service targets cover multiple sectors such as power generation, grid, and user sides.
Independent Energy Storage: Operating entities are market-oriented entities independent of power generation, grid, and user sides (such as energy storage development companies). Service targets are the entire electricity market, including power generation, grid, and user sides.
Grid-Side Energy Storage: Operating entities are typically grid companies or their authorized institutions. Service targets are mainly transmission and distribution networks, aiming to ensure the safe and stable operation of the grid.
3. Functional Positioning and Application Scenarios
New Energy Storage: Functions are relatively broad, capable of peak shaving, frequency regulation, backup, black start, inertia support, etc., depending on different application scenarios. Application scenarios include power generation, grid, and user sides.
Independent Energy Storage: Core function is providing market-oriented electricity services, such as participating in electricity spot market transactions, ancillary service market transactions (frequency regulation, peak shaving, etc.), and capacity market transactions. Application scenarios are mostly large-scale energy storage power stations participating in grid peak shaving and frequency regulation, and new energy supporting energy storage. Grid-side energy storage: Its main function is to ensure grid security, such as alleviating transmission and distribution bottlenecks, smoothing grid power fluctuations, and delaying grid upgrades. Application scenarios include energy storage supporting with UHV transmission lines, energy storage at key nodes in the transmission network, and energy storage at the end of the distribution network.
4. Access Location and Scale
New energy storage: Flexible access location; it can be connected to the power source side, grid side, or user side according to application scenario requirements. Scale ranges from small-scale distributed energy storage to large-scale centralized energy storage.
Standalone energy storage: Typically connected to the transmission or distribution network, with flexible access points selected according to project planning. Scale is generally large, often at the 100 MW or 100 MWh level or above.
Grid-side energy storage: Connected to key nodes in the transmission network (such as UHV landing points, load center substations) or at the end of the distribution network. Scale is determined by grid demand and can vary greatly.
5. Revenue Model and Marketization Level
New energy storage: Diverse revenue models, including peak-valley arbitrage, ancillary service compensation, capacity leasing, and green electricity trading. Marketization level varies depending on application scenarios and policy environment.
Independent energy storage: Primarily driven by market-based profitability, it generates revenue through participation in electricity spot markets, ancillary services markets, and capacity markets, exhibiting a high degree of marketization.
Grid-side energy storage: Revenue relies heavily on policy guarantees and grid dispatch instructions, such as inclusion in transmission and distribution cost recovery or receiving special subsidies, resulting in a relatively low degree of marketization.
