International view: Why energy storage is now a must-have
Our sales leads, Juandré Pitout from RenEnergy Africa and Tom Lloyd from RenEnergy UK weigh in on why energy storage have become a vital component of renewable energy planning in both territories, albeit for slightly different reasons. Solar PV generation in SA and the UK have increased and new enquiries show no sign of slowing. Tom highlights how strong the UK demand for energy storage is: “Since the energy crisis hit, our phones have not stopped ringing and our clients are increasingly aware of the benefits that including energy storage alongside PV can bring. For many we’ve spoken to historically, the level of investment didn’t stack up for whatever reason at that time. But now, with people’s bills quadrupling or more in a lot of instances, it’s put the benefits of energy storage into sharp focus”.
Juandré echoes that the trend in South Africa has completely shifted from grid-tied savings systems to energy storage systems, to store electricity to mitigate the impact of loadshedding and the cost of diesel used for generators. South Africans have had to contend with rolling electricity blackouts (loadshedding) since 2007, currently with an amped up and unpredictable schedule as the national utility provider continues to struggle with a growing electricity supply deficit and insufficient generation. Contributing factors include operational failures, maintenance issues and breakdowns at ageing, poorly maintained power stations. “In South Africa, we recently analysed the electricity usage of one of our potential clients, and, while we were expecting to find extended periods without electricity, we were still shocked to learn that over the last twelve months, their business was without electricity for 719 hours, that’s almost a full month!” Juandré says. Energy storage becomes an invaluable tool to ensure continuity in times of unpredictable loadshedding and low light conditions.
Tom also adds a story about a client: “We completed one solar PV installation for a client that owns a farm. This year his energy bills have gone from £15,000 p.m. to £45,000 p.m., and the farmer has five acres available for more panels. This is where battery storage could help optimise his PV use and reduce his operating costs.” According to Matthew Lumsden of Connected Energy, energy bills account for 5-20% of operating costs for around half of UK businesses. It has therefore become business critical to mitigate spiralling energy costs.
Having a large PV solution installed where so much energy is generated that a significant proportion is exported to the grid, does not achieve the optimal financial benefit. The balance has to be found where businesses cover the maximum amount of their load and export the minimum amount of surplus energy. Where generation and load do not correlate, battery storage can form a key component of the system to ensure optimal use. If businesses introduce a battery storage system, they gain the ability to use solar energy at peak-cost times.
The global energy crisis has accelerated the growth of renewable energy as a dependable alternative. With an increasing number of businesses making the sustainable switch, solar photovoltaic (PV) power is leading the way in renewable energy solutions. The international PV market is expected to grow steadily, creating jobs across the entire value chain, from component manufacturing to installation. RenEnergy’s international reach means that we share our skills and knowledge on battery storage solutions to ensure that we remain at the forefront of developing innovative solar PV solutions. RenEnergy is passionate about helping businesses embrace clean energy by facilitating the effortless transition to cleaner and affordable solar energy.
A word of caution
Juandré says: “We’ve received a huge influx of enquiries over the past few months. Suppliers, manufacturers as well as EPC’s are under increased pressure to deliver high quality installations and components to meet the demand in the renewable space. Like with all industries experiencing hypergrowth, the increased demand leads to the emergence of inexperienced installers. These providers are capitalising on the immediate opportunity, resulting in reputational damage to the renewable energy market and the trust in the technology.’
Installing solar PV and battery storage systems is a long-term investment, and it will absolutely be worth waiting a short while for quality, expertise and components from reputable brands with solid guarantees. Choosing a solar PV solutions provider that will be there in the long run and has the required industry regulation certificates/endorsements, and appropriate quality and safety standards, is vital during this peak time in demand.
Let’s talk!
At RenEnergy we supply high quality solar PV and energy storage solutions to the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors. Energy storage solutions can be retrofitted to existing installations to optimise efficiency. Our client journey begins with an in-depth consultation and detailed assessment to truly understand your needs and meet your energy requirements. If you would like to discuss your energy generation and storage needs, please get in touch with us.