Solar plants and wind turbines generate variable energy quantities depending on the state of the weather, so electric grids are built to manage power levels we expect at a certain location. However in some cases there is greater sunlight or more wind than predicted and these sources produce more energy than the grid can manage. As more sources of energy generation are installed, issues with intermittence (both by default or excess) of these sources lay on the table the need for better management of the energy excess or its lack-off through storage. However, currently the main solutions in the market are essentially larger versions of lithium-ion batteries that can be found in mobile devices. They can only store energy for a short period of time, and when the charging source is taken out of the equation, these batteries begin to discharge the energy.

 

At ACCIONA we are thus looking for startups that provide solutions within the development of new technologies for storage or power electronics. How can we store energy in another way? How can we store in a sustainable way? How can we manage the intermittence of renewables? How can we manage demand peaks? How can we reduce the cost of battery installation?