energies Article Battery Storage Technologies for Electrical Applications: Impact in Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems Daniel Akinyele 1,2,* ID , Juri Belikov 3 ID and Yoash Levron 1 ID 1 Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel;
[email protected] 2 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Elizade University, P. M. B 002, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria 3 Department of Computer Systems, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15a, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
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[email protected]; Tel.: +972-48293231 Academic Editor: K.T. Chau Received: 29 September 2017; Accepted: 24 October 2017; Published: 2 November 2017 Abstract: Batteries are promising storage technologies for stationary applications because of their maturity, and the ease with which they are designed and installed compared to other technologies. However, they pose threats to the environment and human health. Several studies have discussed the various battery technologies and applications, but evaluating the environmental impact of batteries in electrical systems remains a gap that requires concerted research efforts. This study first presents an overview of batteries and compares their technical properties such as the cycle life, power and energy densities, efficiencies and the costs. It proposes an optimal battery technology sizing and selection strategy, and then assesses the environmental impact of batteries in a typical renewable energy application by using a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system as a case study. The greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of the batteries is evaluated based on the life cycle emission rate parameter.