Solar Media’s Energy Storage Summit took place at the end of February and was attended by around 350 delegates and stakeholders, looking at energy storage markets in the UK and beyond. Collected here are seven interviews with leading figures at the event spanning utility-scale, commercial and residential energy storage.

Belectric has developed PV plants on every continent of the globe except Antarctica and also delivers energy storage system projects and offers a wide range of energy storage solutions including in-house battery systems, turn-key large-scale battery storage as well as scalable container solutions. Managing director of Belectric Solar and Battery, Frank Amend, spoke to Energy-Storage.News about the company’s recent acquisition by RWE subsidiary innogy and where the company sees energy storage (and solar) going.

Japan-headquartered NGK Insulators is the manufacturer of the NAS sodium sulfur battery, used in grid-scale energy storage systems around the world.

The UK’s government department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) and its regulator, Ofgem, have jointly launched a Call for Evidence on System Flexibility for the country’s power networks, putting storage at the forefront. Anthony Price, head of trade group the Electricity Storage Network spoke to Energy-Storage.News about the document, which gives stakeholders until January to respond.

Germany headquartered “intelligent battery storage” and energy services provider Sonnen has just obtained US$85 million in its fourth financing round, from a range of investors. The company said the funds would be used both home and abroad, with Sonnen operating in markets including Italy, Australia, the US and the UK. Andy Colthorpe spoke with the company’s CEO Christoph Ostermann to learn more.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) senior analyst Logan Goldie-Scot discusses with Energy-Storage.News drivers for the recent uptick in storage across the globe, as well as insights on why America has an ideal regulatory approach to storage technologies, the recent UK tender, and the potential of dynamic markets in Asia Pacific.

Sam Wilkinson, of IHS Markit, talks to Energy-Storage.News about the winners in the UK’s recent 200MW Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) tender which saw utility and renewables giants share the spoils.

Brian Perusse, vice president of AES Energy Storage and Jim Avery, chief development officer of SDG&E discuss the largest battery-based storage system in the US, set to stand at 30MW in California.

Tesla Motors’ US$2.6 billion all-stock offer for SolarCity this week raised questions, as both firms’ share prices slumped on the announcement, and markets reflected a sense of both awe and unease at the proposed deal. GTM Research director of energy storage Ravi Manghani considers these questions, through the prism of Tesla chief Elon Musk’s self-titled ‘master plan, part deux’.

German PV module and storage manufacturer Solarwatt recently announced its intention to expand into the UK market with the launch of its MyReserve storage system.Energy Storage News caught up with Pol Spronck, Solarwatt’s international sales manager, to discuss the latest expansion and with the company is hoping to bring to the UK.