Price of 100 kWh of electricity from a mobile energy storage vehicle

Why are battery system costs expressed in $/kWh?

By expressing battery system costs in $/kWh, we are deviating from other power generation technologies such as combustion turbines or solar photovoltaic plants where capital costs are usually expressed as $/kW. We use the units of $/kWh because that is the most common way that battery system costs have been expressed in published material to date.

How much does energy storage cost?

Energy storage system costs for four-hour duration systems exceed $300/kWh for the first time since 2017. Rising raw material prices, particularly for lithium and nickel, contribute to increased energy storage costs. Fixed operation and maintenance costs for battery systems are estimated at 2.5% of capital costs.

How do you convert kWh costs to kW costs?

The $/kWh costs we report can be converted to $/kW costs simply by multiplying by the assumed 4-hour duration (e.g., a $300/kWh, 4-hour battery would have a power capacity cost of $1200/kW). To develop cost projections, storage costs were normalized to their 2024 value such that each projection started with a value of 1 in 2024.

Are battery electricity storage systems a good investment?

This study shows that battery electricity storage systems offer enormous deployment and cost-reduction potential. By 2030, total installed costs could fall between 50% and 60% (and battery cell costs by even more), driven by optimisation of manufacturing facilities, combined with better combinations and reduced use of materials.