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 much does energy storage cost in 2024?

As we look ahead to 2024, energy storage system (ESS) costs are expected to undergo significant changes. Currently, the average cost remains above $300/kWh for four-hour duration systems, primarily due to rising raw material prices since 2017.

Why are energy storage systems so expensive?

Energy storage systems (ESS) for four-hour durations exceed $300/kWh, marking the first price hike since 2017, largely driven by escalating raw material costs and supply chain disruptions. Geopolitical issues have intensified these trends, especially concerning lithium and nickel.

Are battery storage costs based on long-term planning models?

Battery storage costs have evolved rapidly over the past several years, necessitating an update to storage cost projections used in long-term planning models and other activities. This work documents the development of these projections, which are based on recent publications of storage costs.

How much does a battery storage system cost?

Around the beginning of this year, BloombergNEF (BNEF) released its annual Battery Storage System Cost Survey, which found that global average turnkey energy storage system prices had fallen 40% from 2023 numbers to US$165/kWh in 2024.

Do projected cost reductions for battery storage vary over time?

The suite of publications demonstrates wide variation in projected cost reductions for battery storage over time. Figure ES-1 shows the suite of projected cost reductions (on a normalized basis) collected from the literature (shown in gray) as well as the low, mid, and high cost projections developed in this work (shown in black).