IEA ES Task 46

The task pursues the goal of analysing energy storage solutions in an application-oriented manner and thus making a significant contribution to increasing the flexibility of a renewable, decentralized energy system. The focus is on systematically linking specific application requirements with the properties of storage technologies. To this end, technical, economic and non-technical aspects (e.g. environmental impact, social acceptance) are given equal consideration and described using clearly defined KPIs.
The core of the task is the development of a comprehensive “match-making matrix” that covers all relevant storage technologies (electrical, thermal, chemical) and fields of application (centralized, decentralized, all sectors: electricity, heating/cooling, mobility). In addition, best-practice examples are collected to illustrate successful storage application pairs and provide valuable insights and lessons learned for replication.
Another focus is on the evaluation and prioritization of these “matches” according to their contribution to CO₂ reduction and their benefits for system flexibility. This will provide decision-makers from politics, business and research with a sound basis for identifying and implementing suitable storage solutions.
The Austrian consortium plays a central role in this: it collects best-practice examples and KPIs in order to make applications and storage technologies comparable. In addition, it acts as an interface for active exchange between the national storage community and international stakeholders in order to effectively network knowledge, experience and innovative approaches and make them usable for rapid implementation.