The view from the solar energy sector Angus MacDonald Managing Director, British Solar Renewables
Storage A Solar developer s perspective Solar Energy UK 2014 Presented by Angus Macdonald 137
Thomas Alva Edison, 1931 138
British Solar Renewables BSR generates clean energy. We ve delivered circa 200MWp since our launch in 2010. We finance, design, build & operate large scale solar parks, commercial and agricultural roof mounted arrays Partnership with Siem Industries Inc., a global group providing services to the energy sector 139
The UK market for power is changing rapidly Old World Predictable central generation, direct management of capacity Annual demand growth ~ GDP Predictable network load Low volatility New World Controlled, predictable central generation Less predictable, uncontrolled distributed generation Annual demand growth >> GDP Unpredictable swings in local network load Rising volatility 140
In the short term we face an Electricity Crunch Time Bomb 141
The Electricity Crunch Time Bomb Steady decline in UK energy production since 1999 UK peak electricity demand 60GW approx. 6 major coal power stations closing over next few years 8 out of 9 nuclear power stations closing in next ten years Need to find 30/40% of generation from somewhere else - shortfall possibly as much as 20GW Risk of electricity blackouts by 2015/16 predicted by Ofgem as there will be 4% buffer in UK energy supplies compared with current level of 14% Lights go out! Prices will continue to rise to unprecedented levels. Politicians panic!! 142
Combined with Storage, PV will bring enormous value to the UK Solar generation is predictable, but leaves over 80% of grid connection capacity unused PV is already deployed at scale, connected at or near demand generally on 11kv and 33kv networks Network volatility benefits from a local solution Combining PV with storage gives DNOs an alternative to wholesale grid reinforcement 143
DECC s own figures demonstrate that PV power is very predictable PV generation is very predictable Variation between installations is very low Average Capacity Factor is similar to Wind, micro-chp Inter-year variation very low Load factor and range for technologies installed under FIT Predictability makes large scale integration far easier Source: DECC analysis 144
PV is summer-biased, but always contributes a base load Peak generation is midday and mid-summer However monthly generation never drops below 25% of maximum and is on average 67% of monthly maximum 145
Grid linked PV only uses a fraction of its network capacity Grid-connected PV almost never uses the full capacity of its connection Half of the time only half of that capacity is being used The opportunity for storage is to use more of that capacity to import and to export 146
Installing storage would fix shortterm variability in export Short-term variation in export is due to clouds Chilton Cantelo 5MW Generation 2 8 October 14 Connection protocols protect the network but limit PV deployment Export smoothing would allow more PV onto sensitive networks 147
Storage would bring other benefits to developers Stores energy for export when most valuable Allows greater DC capacity to be connected per MW of grid capacity 148
We will shortly be able to demonstrate all of the ways storage adds value The first commercial demonstration of Solar Integrated storage in the UK LCNF funded by Western Power Distribution, Elexon and NSC review Demonstrates at scale all of the modes in which storage and PV create value Usage Case Sell electricity for a higher price per kwh Shape generation profile to demand Peak lop network demand (by exporting) Raise minimum demand to limit voltage rise Voltage control Peak lop generation to build bigger solar parks Smoothing / Power Quality Change peak lopping level (glass ceiling) Constructive system interactions Benefit Owner DNO DNO DNO DNO Owner DNO DNO DNO 149
Energy Storage is a Game Changer Defuses UK s capacity crunch time bomb Balances electricity supply and demand locally Enhances the value of distributed generation A disruptive alternative to centralised generation and unused network capacity 150
+44 (0)1458 224 900 www.britishrenewables.com info@britishrenewables.com British Solar Renewables Limited Higher Hill Farm Butleigh BA6 8TW 151