Page 26 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
P. 26
26 Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation
SOLAR & STORAGE
Solar and Storage – a match
made in clean energy heaven
By Thomas Döring (pictured), Senior Policy Analyst, SolarPower Europe
Like bread and butter, like coffee price of storage has fallen over 60% more clean energy can be integrated
and cream – solar and storage since late 2014 – and these prices are into the energy system. New business
make the perfect pair. Storage expected to drop another 50-60% models, made possible by solar and
extends solar’s power beyond by 2030, according to IRENA. This, storage, will catalyse the decentralisation
the time the sun is in the sky, allowing combined with solar’s falling costs, and smartening of the energy system,
energy producers to use solar 24 means that solar-plus-storage systems bringing important system benefits
hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter are becoming economically more by unlocking the flexibility potential
if the sun is shining or not. This opens and more attractive for European at consumer level by offering services
up a whole new world of opportunities consumers. Today, Germany is one to grid operators. With storage in the
for solar, allowing solar technologies of the fastest growing markets for mix, European energy prosumers can
to be used to their full potential. residential battery storage, close to make smarter use of their clean energy
100,000 solar storage systems are by facilitating demand response,
Although storage has been forecasted to be installed by 2018. ensuring that the energy generated
developing for decades, solar-plus- from your solar panels is saved as
storage solutions are now becoming These price decreases are largely back-up and only used when and
the new standard for clean energy due to better, more efficient where you need it the most.
production. Whether it be large- technologies as well as an increase
scale utilities, or small-scale home in production and commersialisation This is especially important in the era
installations – solar and storage will be of battery technologies. Chemistry
at the core of the new energy system. advancements have allowed for Caserne de Bonne Shopping Centre, Grenoble
better batteries that are smaller and
Storage has been emerging in lighter while storing more energy. It
recent years primarily because it has is projected that battery storage in
experienced a steep decline in price, stationary applications will skyrocket
similar to the dramatic price drops from a mere 2 GW worldwide in 2017
that solar has witnessed in the past to over 235 GW by 2030.
decade. In some EU countries, the
With the dropping prices of solar-plus-
storage solutions, more European
citizens will have access to the clean
energy power of these technologies.
We will undoubtedly see an important
increase of energy prosumers – citizens
that both produce and consume their
own energy – as solar and storage
offer opportunities to decrease
European citizen’s energy bill while
increasing predictability of their
energy supply. With solar panels on
your roof and batteries in your home
or electric vehicle, you can have an
uninterruptible supply of clean energy,
therefore reducing reliance on a
fluctuating energy market.
As more and more energy consumers
become energy prosumers, more and
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