Western Power Distribution has committed to investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of battery energy storage within distributed generation installations in the UK. As a result, they have commissioned Renewable Energy Systems (RES) to build and support its first major UK battery energy storage system.

RES is one of the world’s leading independent renewable energy project developers, with operations across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

Using energy storage in this way offers huge potential to increase the efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, of grid operations without the need for public or Government subsidy.  It also has the potential to improve access to the grid for the low carbon technologies that will play an essential role in the UK’s transition to a low carbon future.

The company will be installing a 300kVA/640kWh battery system next to a 1.5MW solar park near Glastonbury, Somerset. This system will help balance supply and demand between the solar park and the local grid.

The Renewable Energy Association welcomes the project and their CEO, Dr. Nina Skorupska, said: “2016 will be the year in which battery storage takes off in the UK, as we have seen in the United States, Germany, and Japan, all who have moved quickly to reap the benefits of this technology - including energy security, greater renewables integration, and more green jobs.”