Energy technologies for a low‑carbon future

As renewable fuels, hydrogen and renewable electricity production scale, battery energy storage systems act as rechargeable assets that store energy from multiple sources including solar panels, wind turbines and the grid. These systems charge when renewable energy production exceeds demand or when electricity prices are low, then discharge during peak demand periods. 

Storage systems provide backup power during grid outages while helping reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint. Organizations can sell excess stored energy back to the grid, participate in demand-response programs and provide ancillary services like frequency regulation and voltage support.

Distributed energy resources are small-scale electricity supply or demand resources typically located near sites of electricity use. Common examples include rooftop solar panels, wind turbines, battery energy storage systems, electric vehicle chargers, fuel cells and backup generators. These resources connect to the public grid to improve reliability and resilience of wider energy systems.

During peak consumption, distributed energy resources help utilities balance grid loads to prevent outages. When aggregated into virtual power plants, distributed energy resources can operate as unified resources that participate in wholesale electricity markets while providing grid stabilization services.

A virtual power plant aggregates the capacities of different types of distributed energy resources through advanced software, communications and control platforms. The combined fleet of solar installations, wind turbines, battery systems and flexible loads operates as a single, unified resource that can be dispatched to meet grid needs. A central authority manages the virtual power plant using cloud-based platforms that collect real-time data from thousands of connected devices. Sophisticated algorithms determine optimal times to generate, store or consume electricity based on grid conditions, market prices and participant preferences.

Hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels can significantly reduce emissions, especially in hard-to-abate industries where direct electrification is challenging. Low-carbon hydrogen production is usually defined as either "blue" or "green." 

Blue hydrogen is produced by conventional methods, using carbon capture technology to reduce CO₂ emissions. 

Green hydrogen is made using renewable energy sources like wind or solar through electrolysis, where electricity separates water into hydrogen and oxygen without generating carbon emissions.

Renewable fuels cut carbon emissions by using renewable feedstocks that recycle recently absorbed atmospheric CO₂, rather than releasing new fossil carbon. They're produced through efficient upgrading processes like Honeywell Ecofining® that turn waste oils, solid biomass and other abundant waste sources into energy-dense, lower-carbon fuels. These drop-in replacements work with today’s engines and fueling infrastructure without modifications, enabling existing fleets to meet transportation demands while helping to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.