The association says that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) must prioritise the resolution of regulatory, economic and market barriers which prevent “fair treatment for storage within the power system”.
There is currently no legal definition of storage in the UK or the EU, which the Solar Trade Association (STA) said leads to double charging – where storage is charged for both importing and exporting power despite the benefits it offers.
The STA’s comments come after a year of analysis by the association and the publication of its paper on the interaction between solar and energy storage.
STA chief executive Paul Barwell said: “Storage is a game-changer for power systems and consumers around the world. Other countries are providing stimulus to their storage industries but we believe the priority in the UK is to move quickly to lay the foundations for the development of a strong, safe and sustainable energy storage industry, at all scales.
“The costs of storage are moving rapidly downwards, and the economics could be compelling by the time fundamental regulatory & market barriers are resolved.”
The paper was published ahead of the government call for evidence on the role of storage within smart power.
The Solar Trade Association, Renewable UK and the Electricity Storage Network are bringing together experts from their respective industries to share knowledge on the practicalities and opportunities of building renewable-linked storage projects.