UK trio trials home battery to boost network capacity

A new £250,00 trial to demonstrate how home batteries can increase capacity on the electricity network and enable more homes to install solar panels has been launched. Distributor Northern Powergrid […]

A new £250,00 trial to demonstrate how home batteries can increase capacity on the electricity network and enable more homes to install solar panels has been launched.

Distributor Northern Powergrid has chosen Moixa Smart Batteries to be installed in 40 homes and linked in a virtual power plant in Yorkshire.

The batteries will be split between 20 with a capacity of 2kWh and 20 with 3kWh, giving a total capacity of 100kWh.

Solar panels will also be installed in 30 homes through the Energise Barnsley community energy initiative to test how the solution can reduce peak solar output onto power networks when there is low local demand.

Northern Powergrid is funding installation of the batteries in Oxspring, near Barnsley.

If successful, the project is expected to help network operators save “millions of pounds” for customers by reducing the need to upgrade infrastructure.

Simon Daniel, CEO of Moixa, said: “Batteries will allow the electricity system to support much higher levels of low carbon renewable power and increase UK energy independence.

“By managing clusters of home batteries in a virtual power plant and allowing homeowners to use more of their solar energy, thereby exporting less, we believe we can significantly reduce peak solar generation output onto the network. This will allow more homes to go solar without imposing new costs on network operators.”

Three councils are also trialling a solar battery project in London and EDF Energy Renewables has awarded a contract to build what will be Europe’s largest battery storage project in the UK.

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