Bright blue skies, spring-like temperatures – perfect weather for solar power. There’s only one thing you can’t miss: the opportunity to put the electricity to good use – even if the grid can’t absorb it. That is why Sungrow invited more than 300 participants from more than 20 European countries to Munich last week for its “ESS Experience Day.” The theme of the partner event: the next stage of the European energy transition.
Without energy storage, the energy transition will not continue. That is, roughly, how the panel discussion at the event can be summarized. Europe has come a long way, emphasized the experts on the podium. Last year, the continent achieved cumulative photovoltaic generation capacity of 338 GW, according to trade body SolarPower Europe.
“But without storage, the electricity cannot be used sensibly,” warned Starry Ge, analyst at market research company Rho Motion. In Great Britain, for example, half of the renewable electricity generated is already wasted, due to grid bottlenecks. That inefficiency ultimately drives up electricity prices. Europe has done a lot to expand renewables; now grids and energy storage must follow suit.
