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Researchers have developed a model that can be used to project what a nation's energy storage needs would be if it were to shift entirely to renewable energy sources, moving away from fossil fuels for electric power generation. The model offers policymakers critical information for use when making near-term decisions and engaging in long-term energy system planning.

The paper, "Modeling energy storage in long-term capacity expansion energy planning: an analysis of the Italian system," is published in the Journal of Energy Storage.

"We focused this study on Italy's energy system because it has suffered significantly in recent years, due to difficulties obtaining affordable natural gas due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine," says Anderson de Queiroz, co-author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University.

"That has raised questions about how Italy can make its energy system more robust. Our goal here was to develop a model that would allow us to determine what Italy's energy storage needs would be if it moved completely away from fossil fuels and met its electricity demands with renewable resources."

Energy storage is a critical piece of this puzzle because renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, don't produce energy at the same rate all the time. For example, you need to be able to store energy generated by solar power so that you can use that energy at night, when the sun is not shining.

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