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.

How do I evaluate potential revenue streams from energy storage assets?

Evaluating potential revenue streams from flexible assets, such as energy storage systems, is not simple. Investors need to consider the various value pools available to a storage asset, including wholesale, grid services, and capacity markets, as well as the inherent volatility of the prices of each (see sidebar, “Glossary”).

How much will LCOE cost a second set of energy storage investments?

This could be a mistake though, because there is no more curtailed solar to charge the devices, which means that the LCOE for the second set of energy storage investments would be $0.04/kWh plus $0.06/kWh from charging with existing, dispatchable generators.

Why do data centers need a high-temperature energy storage system?

Thermal storage and compressed-air energy storage (CAES) suit the region’s hot climate and vast salt caverns, spurring exportable know-how in high-temperature storage designs. U.S. data centers could draw 6.7-12% of nationwide electricity by 2028, more than double 2023 levels.

Should energy storage be undervalued?

The revenue potential of energy storage is often undervalued. Investors could adjust their evaluation approach to get a true estimate—improving profitability and supporting sustainability goals.

Is energy arbitrage profitable?

Because the driving factor behind the profitability of energy arbitrage, which is the buying of energy during low-price periods and selling it back during relatively higher price periods, is the spread between prices, not the sale price, LCOE becomes less meaningful in this context except in the case of a generation-storage hybrid plant.