Article by Matthew Lumsden, CEO of Connected Energy.
The case for solar PV on warehouse rooftops is overwhelming, but the business case becomes much stronger when combined with battery energy storage.
The figures in the UK Warehousing Association report from Delta Energy & Environment have provided the industry with a rallying call. They prove that, by installing solar PV on warehouse roof spaces, the warehousing sector alone could deliver the entire UK solar requirement for 2030 forecast by the National Grid, without using an inch of new land.
But it is a missed opportunity – in wasted energy and costs – if sites do not consider installing a battery energy storage system (BESS) alongside to help to maximise the energy captured by solar PV.
The UK already ‘wastes’ an equally staggering amount of wind power every year, enough to power a million homes, due to lack of storage capacity,
Why would money be thrown away without a BESS? Many solar PV sites generate either more energy than they need, or energy for a small percentage of the time that it is needed.
With a BESS, energy which would otherwise be wasted, can be stored and used when its needed providing many benefits depending on different sites or scenarios:
In sites with heavy, round-the-clock energy requirements, a battery energy storage unit can store solar power during generation times to use throughout the evening – helping to avoid waste and saving money.
In a scenario where a site has low energy use, the energy captured from the solar could be capitalised on – by either feeding the power back to the grid or providing balancing services – something that a site can be paid for and therefore generating revenue for a business.
Storage can also support a site to manage peak energy periods, such as charging electric vehicles, when more power is needed.
For sites focused on decarbonisation, the added benefit of capturing solar from PV within a BESS helps a business to maximise the use of clean energy, therefore saving carbon emissions.
These are four strong reasons to install a BESS with solar PV, and if these weren’t powerful enough reasons, the financial support available to install a BESS is now very attractive as well. Generous tax breaks are available, or ‘Battery Storage as a Service’ financial plans make them highly accessible.
And a final point which is especially significant to warehouse operators – BESS can be made from second life vehicle batteries. In an industry which is based around transport and is a massive carbon emitter from vehicle emissions, a BESS made from old EVs is a beautiful circular solution.
This is why it is critical to install solar PV with a BESS, because the BESS ‘closes the circle’ on energy security and stability, and is what makes the deepest cost and carbon savings possible.
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