Battery storage systems (Visual Story, October 13) and their potential to accelerate the energy transition are given a thorough and timely review in your article. That said, we should not forget that the cleanest and cheapest unit of energy is the one that is never used. Improvements in industrial motors, drives and systems efficiency can cut global electricity consumption by as much as 10 per cent — equivalent to hundreds of gigawatt hours of battery storage. Batteries are vital, but energy efficiency is the first fuel for a stable, low-carbon grid.
Brandon Spencer
President, ABB Motion, Zurich, Switzerland
