3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
An increasing adoption of solar PV and wind power can result in an undesirable situation where
oversupply of sustainable energy at the European level during peak hours results in low, or
even negative, wholesale energy prices. This phenomenon can also result in the switching off of
renewable power generation capacity to reduce commercial losses and restore network
stability. This would significantly affect the business case for investments in these assets and
means that even the yearly energy balance for renewable energy will become negative again.
A solution to this scenario is through the application of energy storage and conversion
technologies.
Energy Storage: Using hot water tanks and/or battery systems for short-term energy
storage. Such solutions are well-suited to store excess renewable energy for a few hours
and, at best, a few days.
Conversion through power-to-gas: Converting excess power generation into hydrogen
or methane gas. The gas can be stored in underground storage facilities in large volumes
and for long periods of time, to meet seasonal differences in the energy balance. Figure
2 shows photos of the relevant conversion technology.
Electric vehicles: Connecting electric vehicles to the grid using a bidirectional charging
pole infrastructure for EVs can form a virtual power plant and replace the need for a
central power plant.
Figure 2: Small Power-to-Gas Unit with Close-Up of Methanization Reactors
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