According to BloombergNEF's recently published Energy Storage System Cost Survey 2024, the prices of turnkey energy storage systems fell 40% year-on-year from 2023 to a global average of US$165/kWh.
The scale of the reduction suggests that in addition to the falling cost of batteries—BNEF's recent Lithium-ion Battery Price Survey found that battery pack prices fell 20% year-on-year to 2024, again the biggest drop recorded to date—energy storage system providers are working on cost reduction in other areas, Kikuma said.
How much does the energy storage system cost?
The energy storage system is a 4MW, 32MWh NaS battery consisting of 80 modules, each weighing 3 600 kg. The total cost of the battery system was USD 25 million and included USD 10 million for construction of the building to house the batteries (built by Burns & McDonnell) and the new substation at Alamito Creek.
According to BloombergNEF's recently published Energy Storage System Cost Survey 2024, the prices of turnkey energy storage systems fell 40% year-on-year from 2023 to a global average of US$165/kWh. The research firm said this was the highest annual drop since its survey launched in 2017.
How does a cell store energy?
A cell stores excess energy by combining ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and phosphate to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Cells get energy in the form of ATP through a process called respiration, a series of chemical reactions. During respiration, six-carbon glucose is oxidized to form carbon dioxide. There are two types of respiration: aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration.
A growing industry trend towards larger battery cell sizes and higher energy density containers is contributing significantly to falling battery energy storage system (BESS) costs.
How much does a 300ah cell cost?
For DC-side systems, systems with 300Ah or larger cells were 5% cheaper than systems with 300Ah or smaller cells in 2024. DC blocks with <300Ah cells averaged at US$144/kWh versus US$137/kWh average for 300Ah or larger.