Green energy isn’t Europe’s problem — storage is
Key takeaways
- Solar and wind produce lots of energy — but not always at the right time.
- But insufficient battery storage has meant it's been impossible to store that energy for later use.
- That has to change, if Germany wants to become climate neutral by 2045.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Solar and wind produce lots of energy — but not always at the right time. More battery storage could help Europe to stabilize prices and replace polluting fossil fuel energy, but roadblocks remain.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ELpy The EU would need to invest around €580 billion to upgrade electricity grids across the continent by 2030Image: Sina Schuldt/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement During the day, when the wind blows and the sun is shining, the amount of electricity available in Germany and some other European countries is often more than is needed.
But insufficient battery storage has meant it's been impossible to store that energy for later use. Once the sun goes down, it's often left to natural gas power plants to pick up the slack.