The next development of energy storage is to pay people to build the technology.

That’s the view of energy storage expert Anthony Price who said paying for storage is the right thing to do if we want to encourage it.

Mr Price, Director at Swanbarton and the Electricity Storage Network was speaking at an energy storage conference run by The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) yesterday.

He said: “What we need to do is to make sure there is a way we can see storage as an intricate part of the whole system and the benefits it brings to society as a whole are valued.

“Storage should be recognised as an asset class in its own right and people who put storage in can receive payment for their services in an open transparent manner.”

Mr Price told ELN storage was a vital part of society, particularly as we move to a future of more intermittent power because of renewables.

The decentralisation of the energy sector has meant it is now no longer one organisation’s job to look after storage and so, Mr Price thinks new investment has to be made into this part of the industry.