Battery Storage: What Is It And Why Now?

By Phil Thompson, CEO of Balance Power

The UK Government has set a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, alongside a strategic objective that all electricity should come from clean energy sources by 2035. In order for these targets to be achieved, there must be an increase in the amount of renewable energy. Battery storage will be crucial to support this transition, allowing existing fossil-fuel facilities to be decommissioned over time, whilst maintaining our security of supply.

Battery storage has already proven to have a bright future, with the UK energy storage pipeline reportedly surpassing 32GW in April, but we need to continue increasing this pipeline to ensure UK energy security in the long term. 

To do this, it’s important that the public understands why battery storage is a vital component of the new energy mix, and how the rollout of these projects will power communities, and support our climate commitments. Here we’ve answered some of the biggest questions you may have about net zero and the role of battery storage in achieving it. 

What will it take to run a Net Zero energy system?

Electricity is one of the most reliable aspects of modern life. We have come to trust it so much that when we flick a switch we expect the lights to come on. If you plug your phone in and it doesn’t start charging you’re more likely to check the connection rather than worry the power simply isn’t there. The level of sophistication to achieve this is far from simple but it was built on the reliability of burning fossil fuels. 

Most people are not aware that electricity is consumed in real-time, there is no electricity waiting around to be used later (but we’re working on that!). The market for electricity is real-time pricing based on every half hour. Simply put, the more energy available in a particular half hour the cheaper the price. Businesses and homeowners generally pay an average of all of these half hours. There are some very expensive ones and some very cheap ones. This is something that battery storage can help to regulate.

What is battery storage and why is it needed? 

Batteries store electricity at times of high generation and low demand, and release this energy back onto the grid system when demand becomes high. Battery storage facilities aim to charge through the night when power is at its cheapest. As households retire to bed in the evening demand for energy drops, whilst wind turbines continue to spin and other power generating facilities such as nuclear do not shut down as it is not cost-effective to do so. 

As coal and gas are removed from the grid and replaced by renewable sources such as wind and solar, it is critical we maintain a resilient and secure energy network. Battery storage is vitally important to the grid system helping to ensure homes and businesses are powered when renewable energy supply is inconsistent. It stabilises the grid system reducing the risk of blackouts and increased efficiency can help lower the cost of electricity for consumers.  

Electrify…..Everything!

The availability of electricity and our ability to clean up production means homes are switching to electric boilers and heat pumps, and cars from petrol to electric, so now we need more electricity than ever to meet our needs. People choosing this switch will only happen if the cost of electricity is low when compared to other fuels and people can continue to trust that the electricity for their car will be there when they need it. We want to avoid at all costs a situation where electricity is rationed because there isn’t enough surplus to ensure cars can be charged between 4 and 8pm!

Why now?

Energy bills are continuing to rise. The repercussions on homeowners and businesses are widely reported and the UK is facing a cost of living crisis. The UK is currently too reliant on international gas pricing. Even though less than 5% of UK gas comes from Russia, international events such as the war in Ukraine impact on energy security and fossil-fuel prices across the globe. There is an undisputed need to increase the amount of renewable energy and increasing pressure to make the switch to renewable energy, to ensure a cheap and secure supply of energy to meet current and future demand.

What benefits does battery storage offer to communities?

Other benefits that battery storage facilities provide include the element of decarbonising and decentralising the power network. The more storage capacity that exists means fewer fossil-fuelled plants will be in operation which improves air quality, both locally and nationally, and consequential improvements in people’s health and quality of life. Decentralising the power network means that by having battery storage operating in the network, less power is wasted because travel transmission distances are reduced, which in turn means that local communities and businesses can benefit from a reliable supply of energy.

Battery storage provides several environmental benefits. They are carbon zero in their operation and commonly include a rich landscaping scheme included as part of the development, which contributes towards a biodiversity net gain. Battery storage facilities also have a high energy:density ratio, which means that, for the amount of energy that the batteries can generate compared to the amount of space which is taken, is low. This is especially relevant in comparison to say solar farms, which require a much greater amount of land take for an equivalent amount of power provided.

There’s no doubt that we crucially need more battery storage in order to progress the transition to net zero. Energy storage is one of the most promising technologies we have to expand the integration of renewables more effectively, allowing us to move away from fossil fuels and towards a clean energy network at the speed and scale needed to meet the demands on the energy and climate crisis.