Energy storage battery cost per watt

What are base year costs for utility-scale battery energy storage systems?

Base year costs for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are based on a bottom-up cost model using the data and methodology for utility-scale BESS in (Ramasamy et al., 2023). The bottom-up BESS model accounts for major components, including the LIB pack, the inverter, and the balance of system (BOS) needed for the installation.

How much does a battery cost?

Given the nature of these storage assets, an energy capacity–based cost comparison is used as opposed to a power-based one. The results show that the Li-ion battery has the lowest total annualized $/kWh cost at approximately $74/kWh of any of the battery energy storage technologies. This is followed by zinc-hybrid cathode technology at $91/kWh-yr.

How are battery energy storage costs forecasted?

Forecast procedures are described in the main body of this report. C&C or engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) costs can be estimated using the footprint or total volume and weight of the battery energy storage system (BESS). For this report, volume was used as a proxy for these metrics.

How much power does a battery energy storage system use?

For battery energy storage systems (BESS), the power levels considered were 1, 10, and 100 megawatt (MW), with durations of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours. For pumped storage hydro (PSH), 100 and 1000 MW systems with 4- and 10-hour durations were considered for comparison with BESS.

What is the bottom-up cost model for battery energy storage systems?

Current costs for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) are based on a bottom-up cost model using the data and methodology for utility-scale BESS in (Feldman et al., 2021). The bottom-up BESS model accounts for major components, including the LIB pack, inverter, and the balance of system (BOS) needed for the installation.

How much does battery storage cost?

For longer-term storage, PSH and CAES give the lowest cost in $/kWh if an E/P ratio of 16 is used at $165/kWh and $104/kWh, respectively, inclusive of BOP and C&C costs, while their cost is $660/kWh and $417/kWh, respectively at an E/P ratio of 4.1 Hence, even at the low E/P ratio of 4, they are competitive with battery storage technologies.