We are in an energy crisis….

That’s probably not news to most of you. The term ‘energy crisis’ sounds extremely dramatic, and for good reason. It refers to a bottleneck in the supply chain that restricts access to energy sources. Historically, these crises’ are caused by massive political, social and economic disruption.

Market manipulation, wars and localised shortages cause prices of energy to skyrocket leaving most people unable to afford energy supplies. But our crisis isn’t localised, it’s affecting everyone on a global scale.

The energy crisis has created a cost of living crisis in the UK. With petrol and diesel prices reaching nearly £2 per litre, household energy bills increasing by 54% and general inflation, 1.3 million Britons will be pushed into absolute poverty by the end of this year.

How can we possibly escape the rising tide of the energy crisis whilst we drown in austerity?

Sustainable energy is the solution.

Breaking our reliance on coal and gas could alleviate the energy crisis and prevent future shortages. By investing in wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric we could eradicate fuel and energy shortages, in theory at least. The age-old question that has every boomer scoffing at the prospect of renewable energy sources:

“What are you gonna do when the sun doesn’t shine?”

Energy storage solutions will play an essential role in our conversion to renewable energy. Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when customers need power most.

Battery storage technology has an essential role to play in our conversion to green energy in the future. It will ensure that, even if the sun doesn’t shine or the wind stops blowing, we can still use power from renewable sources. For example, the UK has the largest capacity of offshore wind in the world, but the ability to capture this energy and purposefully deploy it can increase the value of this clean energy; by increasing production and potentially reducing costs [1].

Penso Power creates, finances and manages landmark projects in renewable energy and energy storage. Their Wiltshire site is the largest battery storage site deployed in Europe to date.

Penso considers energy storage an important facilitator of the transition to a low carbon energy system. The growth in electricity sourced from intermittent renewable sources creates a greater need for flexibility to keep the UK’s electricity system in balance.

Battery storage solutions might not be the quick fix we need to combat the growing energy crisis, but there is vast growth potential. For now, Penso power is an excellent solution to UK grid balancing requirements, and it’s unique in speed and ability to respond to grid stress.

Digital product development is part of the solution for building a more sustainable planet. Technology will only accelerate in this space in the very near future.

Find out more about Penso Power and how Neverbland helped them.