Which option correctly identifies solar energy storage capable of addressing solar intermittency?

• A. Lithium-ion battery storage
• B. Superconducting magnetic energy storage
• C. Molten salt storage for solar PV
• D. Compressed air energy storage

Answer: (A)

Handling solar intermittency requires a storage method that can quickly absorb excess solar output and reliably discharge when sun isn’t available. Lithium-ion battery storage is ideal here because it responds rapidly, has high round-trip efficiency, and can be scaled modularly to fit different PV installations. This makes it effective for daily cycling, smoothing short-term fluctuations, and providing grid services like fast frequency regulation. Other options have notable drawbacks for PV intermittency: superconducting magnetic energy storage delivers high power but little energy capacity and is costly; molten salt is tied to thermal storage for CSP, not PV, and isn’t practical for PV-era intermittency; compressed air storage is better suited for longer-duration, large-scale needs but can be less efficient and slower to respond.