Thursday 7 January 2016

£1m solar energy storage project unveiled

Plans to develop a new £1 million energy storage facility in the UK have been unveiled.

It will involve the installation of a 640kWh battery system at a 1.5MW solar park in Somerset, which will be connected to Western Power Distribution’s (WPD) power network.

WPD is carrying out the project, funded by Ofgem’s Network Innovation Allowance, alongside British Solar Renewables (BSR) and the National Solar Centre.

The battery will be built and supplied by UK-based renewable energy firm RES.

The industrial-scale project will investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of linking a batter storage facility, a solar park and the electricity network.

Jenny Woodruff, WPD’s Innovation and Low Carbon Networks Engineer said: “Finding an economical way to store renewable energy will provide security of energy supply from renewable sources. It will ensure renewables aren’t wasted as in this case it will allow solar energy to be stored and accessed when required.”

WPD delivers electricity to around 7.8 million customers in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales.