Page 27 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
P. 27
Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation 27
SOLAR & STORAGE
of climate change, where extreme manufacturing capacity is in China – become a world solar and storage
weather events are becoming this rises to 88% when South Korea leader. The EU must create an energy
increasingly common. With solar-plus- and Japan are included. The EU makes market that embraces solar-plus-
storage solutions, energy prosumers up a mere 2% of the global battery storage solutions instead of creating
will always have an emergency supply industry, meaning that Europeans rely obstacles for deployment. A dedicated
of energy even if the grid is down. on imported batteries and cells to help policy framework for prosumers of
When the devastating Hurricane Maria power the energy transition. renewable energy within the revised
hit Puerto Rico in 2017, it completely Renewable Energy Directive should
destroyed the power grid, yet The recent launch of the Battery be developed, supporting the
businesses, hospitals, and homes were Alliance by Energy Union President rights of prosumers and simplifying
able to keep their lights on thanks Maroš Šefčovič, an industry-led administrative procedures, and
to their solar panels and batteries initiative uniting carmakers, banks, and supporting small-scale renewable
donated by Tesla and Sonnen after the governments, aims to supercharge the installations to encourage the
hurricane hit. Solar and storage were a European battery industry by forging emergence of new business and
critical element to get Puerto Rico back links between sectors and boosting finance models. This will go hand
on its feet after the natural disaster, R&D. This initiative will help to increase in hand with the Energy Union’s
and a much cheaper and cleaner production and investment in the promise of a consumer-driven energy
solution than the traditional diesel storage industry, providing important transition.
generators. local jobs and economic growth in
Europe. This will be an important A ‘prosumer friendly’ approach
Despite a growing recognition that initiative as it is estimated that the should also be reflected in the way
solar-plus-storage represents the European battery market will be distribution tariffs are set by national
future of the energy system, Europe’s worth 250 billion euros annually regulators, with the quantified and real
storage industry is currently behind on from 2020. impact of prosumers on the grid being
the rest of the world. According to the considered at the time the tariffs are
2014 figures of the EU’s Joint Research Yet, increasing battery manufacturing set. In addition, proper remuneration
Centre, 51% of the global battery won’t be enough if Europe wants to of services to the grid provided by
energy prosumers will empower
Photo: © Olivier Morin, GEG ENeR Europeans to participate in the
clean energy transition and increase
investment in both solar and storage.
These two elements will facilitate
the market integration of solar-plus-
storage solutions and pave the way
towards the clean energy transition.
In order to become the world leader in
renewable energy, Europe must also
become a world leader in batteries
as the two sectors will be inseparable
on the path towards an efficient and
stable energy transition. Solar and
storage will be the new standard -
Europe must ramp up support for the
development of this market to power
its clean energy future! l
Thomas Döring is Senior Policy Analyst at
SolarPower Europe. Döring is responsible
for SolarPower Europe’s Market Intelligence
& Research, Global Market Outlook for Solar
Power and Task Force on solar & storage.
Prior to joining SolarPower Europe he
gained experience in leading organisations
such as Innogy and GIZ. Thomas holds a
Master’s degree in Energy Science from the
University of Utrecht.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
