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BATTERY STORAGE R enewable energy is a top priority as the industry seeks to meet ambitious net-zero targets by 2050. With legisla - tion driving the installation of more renewables, the need for reliable energy storage solutions is also increasing. As well as an expanding renewables market, the growth of decentralised generation sources is also adding to the complexities of the UK's energy network. Existing grid infrastructure has not been designed to cope with variable and intermittent renewables genera - tion. To ensure energy is stored and delivered efficiently, there has to be a buffer between generation and demand – and energy storage provides this solution. A number of new innova - tive providers are entering the market, and finding themselves in competition with the oldest form of electrical power storage: pumped hydropower (see box, p 22). Battery storage The flexibility of battery storage solutions can offer an exciting opportunity for networks as they seek to harness the benefits of renewables and low carbon technologies. UK Power Net - works (UKPN) has been working on electricity storage for years, demonstrating the potential of batteries in customers' homes and using electric vehicles (EVs) as energy storage. "We are opening up new markets for distributed energy resources like batteries throUgh our work creating a market for flex - ibility," says Ian Cameron, head of innovation at UKPN. "We are a technology-agnostic, neutral market facilitator, recog- nising that battery storage is an exciting technology that can help optimise the use of renewable energy and provide support to the electricity networks." Cameron adds that the com - pany is currently collaborating with battery storage operators to help enable "cheaper, quicker connec- tions and new markets" for them to sell their services to. Growing markets like EVs offer huge opportunities to exploit the benefits of energy storage. Lithium- ion batteries in particular are expected to be increasingly used in the EV market, primarily due to the technology's flexibility and decreasing costs. Bloomberg New Energy Finance expects battery prices to continue falling well into the next decade. As a result, it pre - NETWORK / 20 / NOVEMBER 2019 diesel generators which can trip out, particularly if customers have their own domestic generation. But while lithium-ion batteries like these can be successfully used for high power, short duration energy storage, Kitchin believes there's a gap in the market for high energy, long duration storage. "Lithium-ion will not be the solution for the entire energy stor - age market, in my view, because most of these lithium resources will Northern Powergrid's Silent Power trial uses vans packed with batteries dicts price parity between EVs and internal combustion vehicles by the mid-2020s in most segments. This synergy between EVs and energy storage is illustrated by Northern Powergrid's plans to trial electric vans with on-board energy storage systems which aim to replace diesel generators during power cuts and planned works. The two-year Silent Power pro - ject will see the company collabo- rating with energy storage SMEs Hyperdrive Innovation and Offgrid Energy to help restore clean energy to customers who become vulner - able during a power cut or essential maintenance work. One van could power up to three homes or a small community centre for 24 hours. According to Northern Power- grid, the vans' lithium-ion batteries are silent during operation and pro- vide a more reliable solution than A battery of battery solutions With renewables high on the agenda, energy storage is becoming increasingly important. Network's Nadine Buddoo looks at some of the storage methods available, from the tried and tested to the prototypes, and routes to best practice for successful adoption.