Trevor Wills is chief executive at Pulse Clean Energy

Greater use of battery energy systems could significantly aid increased use of renewables

At a glance

By smoothing out peaks and troughs in energy demand, battery energy storage systems can play a significant role in supporting increased reliance on renewables

But investors often remain sceptical about investing in such systems due to market immaturity and hurdles to their deployment

Accurate data about the carbon reduction benefits of BESS can help to make their benefits clearer

Battery energy storage systems are an important piece of the renewable energy puzzle.

Wind and solar energy technologies have undoubtedly made great strides in cost reduction and deployment, but their intermittency creates challenges for grid stability. The UK continues to rely on fossil fuel generation to smooth out supply, which has kept energy bills high.

BESS addresses this issue by storing excess energy during periods of high generation and releasing it back on to the grid when demand exceeds supply, supporting a much greater reliance on renewable generation.

But to deploy BESS at the scale needed, co-operation between industry, investors, policymakers and wider communities is essential.

Investing in the future of BESS

A fifteen-fold increase in global BESS capacity, supported by a tripling of annual investment to $93bn, will be required in order to triple global renewable energy capacity, according to the International Energy Agency and research organisation BloombergNEF. Tripling global renewable energy capacity was a key target set at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

Investing in this technology is a long-term commitment. Despite the obvious growth potential of BESS, the sector faces hurdles such as immature market structures and a lack of timely access to grid connections.

BESS developers must therefore demonstrate clear investment cases that illustrate the overall benefits and performance of these assets. A lack of standardised, high-quality data to demonstrate positive impact can make this challenging. How much carbon does a battery save, for example? If you ask 10 stakeholders, you’re likely to get different answers.

Investors want proof. According to BloombergNEF, uncertain environmental benefits rank among the top five concerns for investors considering BESS projects. And policymakers facing debates around net zero also need reliable data to back their decisions.

Different projects also use different methodologies, making it nearly impossible to compare their relative merits.

The path to standardised reporting

To address these challenges, Pulse Clean Energy, in collaboration with business consultancy LCP Delta and the UK’s National Wealth Fund, have developed the GB BESS Carbon Emissions Calculator, the first open-source tool designed to standardise the carbon savings from BESS.

The calculator allows asset managers to certify with precision the carbon emissions saved through battery usage. It pulls real-time energy system information to calculate the effects of BESS operations, providing a more accurate report of carbon emissions and a basis for more reliable comparisons.

Setting new standards for credibility

Ultimately, this is about proving that batteries deliver on their promise. Batteries can bring multiple benefits to the energy system, including lower long-term costs, grid stability and carbon reduction. The calculator makes it possible to verify these benefits against considerations such as potentially high initial upfront costs.

The advantages of this extend far beyond individual project assessments. For investors seeking to meet investment and climate targets while managing risk, standardised performance metrics transform BESS from a speculative asset into a quantifiable climate solution.

For policymakers balancing energy security and affordability, the calculator provides an evidence base to catalyse further deployment.

For local communities, who may be sceptical about environmental claims of nearby developments, the calculator provides verifiable evidence of the performance of battery projects for their area.

The way forward

Solving the complex challenge of delivering a cheaper clean energy system requires unprecedented co-operation. The ability to demonstrate the credibility of solutions provides the foundation for any conversations about this.

The clean energy sector must acknowledge that technology alone won’t suffice. Investors need consistent data, communities need honest assessments and policymakers need reliable metrics.

As the UK moves towards 2030, the BESS sector must prioritise transparency alongside innovation, to build the trust needed for widespread adoption. This is not something that can be achieved without measuring the impact of the technologies being built. By working together on solutions based on sound data, developers, policymakers and investors can create a better energy system.