Energy Storage
Our experts combine market, regulatory, and economic expertise to help clients navigate the evolving energy storage landscape and the forces shaping its future deployment.
Energy storage is a critical enabler of the transition from a system designed around large dispatchable fossil-fuel resources to one that is supplied by a greater share of renewable energy, distributed generation, and flexible demand. As markets and regulations evolve beyond frameworks designed for conventional generators, new reforms can unlock the reliability, flexibility, and economic value of modern storage resources.
Utilities, investors, technology firms, project developers, system operators, and regulators rely on our team of experts to address complex storage questions. Our experience spans utility-scale and distributed battery storage, pumped hydro storage, thermal storage, and emerging technologies, including long-duration energy storage (LDES) like compressed air, zinc-hybrid, and flow batteries.
Our proprietary bSTORE modeling platform evaluates the economics and operations of energy storage facilities. We use it to support asset valuation, assess customer benefits, and conduct market impact analyses while accounting for real-world factors, including the tradeoffs necessary to optimize the revenue stack across multiple value streams, market structure and important regulatory requirements, technical capabilities, and participation in day-ahead, real-time, and ancillary services markets.
Engagements
Areas of Expertise
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Storage Asset Valuation
The comprehensive value of energy storage will help with developing business cases for projects. Brattle has deep expertise in storage valuation techniques, built upon the bSTORE modeling platform. Our experience includes:
- Valuing and sizing renewables+storage facilities
- Analyzing storage across multiple value streams
- Developing bid/offer strategies to maximize revenues across multiple product markets
- Assessing storage in utilities’ integrated resource plans (IRPs)
- Supporting due diligence efforts for investors
- Addressing regulatory and market barriers that affect storage value
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Market Intelligence
Storage presents new opportunities for investors, developers, and utilities. We support clients in the development of business models and go-to-market strategies. Our strategic consulting support takes into consideration:
- The state and federal policy landscape
- Electricity market fundamentals and opportunities
- Storage costs and technology trends
- Current and emerging business models for storage resources
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Policy, Regulatory, and Market Design
We support system operators, regulators, utilities, and asset owners in the development of market rules, regulatory frameworks, and retail rates to address barriers and unlock the full economic value of storage resources. We advise on approaches that provide value to customers and resource owners, while maintaining competition and improve overall economic efficiency. Our services include:
- Wholesale market design
- Retail rate design
- Identifying and addressing market and regulatory barriers
- Evaluating the appropriateness of utility ownership and operations of storage assets
- Assessing retail regulatory and rate implications of distributed storage adoption
- Designing distributed storage programs for utilities and retail customers
- Evaluating the implication of storage deployments on wholesale markets and utilities
