A commercial solar farm in Northampton can retain its Renewables Obligation (RO) subsidy status even when the electricity generated is used to charge storage batteries.

Ofgem’s announcement is said to be a landmark decision, which removes one of the key barriers to deploying storage in the UK.

Anesco’s 5MW solar farm, which is co-located with a 1.1MWh battery storage unit under one grid connection, was the first site to qualify for RO Certificates (ROCs).

Ofgem’s decision under the RO scheme means operators of the green sites can receive ROCs – support paid to accredited renewable generators – for the power they generate and supply to the battery as well as the remaining electricity they export to the grid.

Luke Hargreaves, Head of renewables at Ofgem said: “Battery storage can assist with system balancing and save consumers money by matching supply and demand. It has the potential to play an important role as Britain makes the transition to a low carbon, smarter and more flexible energy system.”