FEATURE BATTERIES & CHARGERS Batteries lead charge in energy revolution


accommodate renewable sources. Batteries could be a major stepping stone towards making our grid more adaptable, and support it on a more flexible basis. Battery and flywheel systems are around 10


times faster and offer a more precise service response to the grid, compared to turbine generators. While they still only comprise a small part of the UK’s energy storage capacity, batteries are expected become far more important in the near future. A key commercial attraction of battery storage, as costs continue to fall, is its relative ease of deployment (batteries can be set up in numerous locations). Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the market, offering high discharge and recharge rates – ideal for frequency response. Batteries may not spell the end of fossil fuels


just yet, but their growth cannot be denied. In 2016 there was 24mW of commercial-battery storage in the UK; there will be over 200mW by the end of 2018, located in installations around the country.


As energy consumption increases and conventional methods of supplying electricity remain unreliable, alternative power supplies have become ever more essential in providing methods of standby generation. Battery storage is a big part of the solution, says ECA director of technical Steve Martin


I


n recent years, the UK’s energy mix has shifted dramatically with fossil fuels, notably


coal, being dropped in favour of renewable and less polluting alternatives. Over the past decade, technology has driven innovation through renewable energy – now a mainstream, economically viable way to generate electricity. With the ability to store that energy using batteries, our dependence on conventional methods could be further reduced.


STARTING AT THE SOURCE In principle, solar, wind and energy storage are a winning combination. While combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants still provide most of the UK’s electrical energy, they are increasingly underpinned by renewable energy, which has delivered major growth in capacity in recent years. Once set up, renewables tend to deliver the cheapest (and lowest carbon) electricity


available to the UK market. This results in many new installation and maintenance opportunities for the electrotechnical industry, whether for owners, customers, contractors or other third parties. But the perennial renewables conundrum remains - turbines do not turn without wind, and PV panels will not produce energy without sunshine. Batteries could be the solution to that problem.


FUTURE-PROOFING THE GRID The Government’s Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Strategy are underpinned by a clear understanding that economic growth in the next few years will depend on an increasingly low-carbon UK economy, and the development of more distributed renewable and storage technologies. To facilitate this shift, the Government wants to make the grid fit for purpose, effectively remodelling it to


OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND Tomorrow’s energy market will require up- skilling of the workforce, particularly in relation to the following areas: • Type of technology: Distributed energy technology is developing quickly. New products, with improved functionality and connectivity, are continually arriving on the market. • Keeping abreast with what is available - and what will meet customers’ needs and options. • Safety codes of practice: When designing,


installing and operating technology in buildings and infrastructure, ensuring operational safety should be a top priority. • Regulatory/Access codes: Given the


(currently slow but steadily increasing) two- way nature of customers’ interaction with the grid, contractors will need to be more aware of how the network and systems function, and the codes that govern the network. • Security: smart, communicating systems


may well have security vulnerabilities, which will make this a high priority. This is an extract from an ECA member-only


guide to opportunities in the energy market. To find out more about this guide, or to join ECA, please visit the website. www.eca.co.uk


32 JULY/AUGUST 2018 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


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