IEA ES Task 46: Application-oriented energy storage selection

Up to now, the energy system has been thought primarily in terms of supply – for example, through the expansion of wind or PV plants. In the future, however, planning must be based more on demand: How much energy is needed when, in what form, and with what system relevance – and which storage solutions can provide this as efficiently as possible? The goal is to develop a well-founded, practice-oriented “match-making matrix” for selecting the most suitable energy storage technology (electrical, chemical, thermal) for specific applications.

Short Description

The energy transition requires a highly flexible energy system in which energy can be supplied on demand, across sectors, and decoupled from time. The increasing volatility caused by the expansion of photovoltaic and wind power plants poses considerable challenges for grid stability, security of supply, and system efficiency. Energy storage systems play a key role in this context: they enable the temporal shift between generation and consumption, reduce grid expansion costs, and improve the integration of renewable energies.

The task aims to analyze energy storage solutions in an application-oriented manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the flexibility of a renewable, decentralized energy system. The focus is on systematically linking specific application requirements with the properties of storage technologies. The analyses include electrical, chemical, and thermal storage. Technical, economic, and non-technical aspects (e.g., environmental impacts, social acceptance) are given equal consideration and described using clearly defined key performance indicators (KPIs).

To address these objectives, Task 46 is divided into four subtasks:

Subtask 1 – Match-Making Matrix: Development and harmonization of KPIs for comparable evaluation and creation of a match-making matrix that brings together suitable technology-application pairs.
Subtask 2 – Collection of Best Practice Examples: Collection, analysis, and evaluation of international best practice examples from various sectors and countries.
Subtask 3 – Evaluation & Prioritizing: Prioritization of technology application paths according to system relevance and CO₂ reduction.
Subtask 4 – Communication & Dissemination: Preparation of decision-making aids for politics, business, and investors.

This approach enables structured, cross-sector, and impact-based decision support for storage solutions in electricity, heating, and mobility applications.

The Austrian consortium plays a central role in this process. It collects best practice examples and KPIs 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 available for rapid implementation.

Participants

Germany (lead), Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, France, Korea, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA

Contact Address

Project leader

Stefan Puschnigg
Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz
Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz
E-Mail: puschnigg@energieinstitut-linz.at

Simon Moser
Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz
Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz
E-Mail: moser@energieinstitut-linz.at

Project partners

AEE INTEC
Carina Seidnitzer-Gallien
E-Mail: c.seidnitzer-gallien@aee.at

FH OÖ Entwicklungs- und Forschungs GmbH
Gaya Issayan
E-Mail: gayaneh.issayan@fh-wels.at
Gerald Steinmaurer
E-Mail: gerald.steinmaurer@fh-wels.at

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Abdulrahman Dahash
E-Mail: Abdulrahman.Dahash@ait.ac.at