Implementing storage technologies into industrial site has interesting potential environmental effects. The first issue is the environmental impact the device can directly have on the environment. This varies widely depending on which type of storage technology is chosen. For example a pumped hydro scheme would have a huge environmental impact, with issues such as flooding and water issues needing to be considered. Another example would be electrochemical batteries which often use rare elements whose sustainability is dubious.
The physical size of storage device also determines the significance of the environmental impact. This particularly depends on the size of the industrial site as generally larger sites will benefit more from a larger storage device.
Implementing storage can also have a positive impact on the environment. There can be a reduction in the on-site C02 emissions because of a reduction in the imports. It is important to note that for the net C02 emissions it is not so clear. This is because at the same time as reducing the imports, there is also a reduction in exports. These exports, if the generation is from emission free sources, can help to ‘clean’ the grid, which means reducing the average C02 emissions per kWh of grid energy. Therefore, storage only really helps to reduce specifically the on-site C02 emissions.
