The government has placed power and smart systems innovation at the heart of its long-delayed Clean Growth Strategy (CGS), despite offering little more than current funding initiatives for storage, electric vehicle charging and network development.
Kiwi Power is to finance and develop a battery storage project at a multi-technology renewable energy site in south Wales, where it will provide constant grid services availability to National Grid for two years in a first for the aggregator.
Car manufacturer Renault has created a new energy subsidiary which will create smart charging networks, explore vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions and utilise second-life EV batteries for stationary energy storage projects.
Nick Winser, the new president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has lauded the role of consumers as ‘change-makers’ in a future, decentralised power market.
The Scottish government will establish a publicly-owned, not-for-profit energy company to deliver renewable energy to Scottish customers “as close to cost price as possible”.
E.On has become the first company to have secured an Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) contract last year to announce the completion of its project following the installation and connection of its 10MW battery at the Blackburn Meadows biomass plant last month.
Northern Powergrid has begun using a £4 million battery paid for by consumers to sell services to National Grid, just as regulator Ofgem sets out its plans to ensure distribution network operators (DNOs) are restricted from doing so directly in the future.
