2) Chemical storage is one of the worst ways to store energy for the grid. The chemicals “wear out” quickly in grid terms and cannot be recycled without a huge investment in – you guessed it – energy (not to mention money). For example, the Li-ion batteries mentioned are good for about 1000 recharge cycles or about 3 years if cycled daily. Then those expensive batteries need to be replaced.

3) One of the best places for power to be stored is in hot water. Just add a tank in front of the water heater and let it nominally be cold. If the utility needs to store power it could signal that tank to turn on and heat (consuming power). Then the usual hot water tank would be receiving pre-heated water and not demand as much power when it is used during peak periods. This power would be sold at a lower rate to incentivize people to install them.