News : Energy storage
Solar + Storage = Opportunities
The Solar Trade Association has published its first paper on the opportunities that energy storage technology can deliver for the renewable energy market
ver the past year , the Solar Trade
O
Association ( STA ) has been evaluating the opportunities for energy storage in the context of solar power in the UK . It is clear that storage and its interaction with solar will be a very significant building block of the clean and smart energy system the future demands .
Consensus is emerging among respected analysts such as the view of bodies like UBS , National Grid , Deutsche Bank and Energy that solar + storage can play a key role in the energy industry in the timeframe of 5-10 years . The STA ’ s own analysis suggests that there will be step-changes in cost and innovation that should enable battery storage to establish its place within the UK energy system . However , there are a number of regulatory and economic barriers which could limit the widespread deployment of new , decentralised storage systems if these are not resolved in the short term .
Post the Paris Climate Agreement , there is a clear signal for a move towards a low carbon energy system . The characteristics of renewables dictate a more decentralised energy system with greater need for the system to respond flexibly to the output of wind and solar in order to balance supply and demand . The highly distributed nature of solar in particular is blurring the line between producers and consumers of power . Energy storage promises to optimise solar output for both individual investors and for the wider power system . The tremendous value this would add to clean power generation has attracted global attention .
Recognising global momentum on storage , the UK Government is examining the role a smarter energy system could play to achieve its three objectives of energy sustainability , affordability and security ( known as the energy trilemma ) through the Smart Energy project jointly run by BEIS and Ofgem . The Government ’ s adviser , the National Infrastructure Commission , has estimated that a more flexible power system could save consumers up to £ 8bn per annum by 2030 . The flexibility renewables need therefore also offers tremendous cost benefits . The time is right for the STA to evaluate the role solar + storage could play within that smarter energy system .
The solar + storage market is estimated to be worth $ 8bn globally by 2026 and there will undoubtedly be opportunities for UK solar companies as the market develops . The nature of these opportunities varies significantly within the different solar sub-markets . The domestic solar + storage market contains a number of different business model options , which will be the subject of innovation over the coming years . The commercial and larger-scale solar + storage markets are more challenging to define , but there will be growing opportunities for STA members to deliver benefits through the addition of storage to their solar offering in the future .
Solar is not the only driver for storage deployment : standalone storage systems – those not tied to solar – can deliver value for the grid by providing services such as
8 | www . renewableenergyinstaller . co . uk