On-board batteries are the way of the future. Energy storage is the right approach to make energy systems on board ships more intelligent and efficient. Energy storage systems can be especially beneficial on vessels with a widely fluctuating fuel consumption profile. Nidec ASI discuss two recent projects to bring battery storage onto such vessels.

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.

To date, Primary Control Reserve (PCR) has dominated the energy storage debate in Germany with more than 100MW of battery storage installed in 2016 alone specifically for participating in the PCR market. At the same time, with close to 25,000 systems sold in 2016, residential storage has been stealing the limelight in the behind-the-meter segment. Julian Jansen of Delta-ee looks at how his team expects the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment to start catching up.

Each battery storage system is a potential source of danger. An ingenious battery management system as well as high-quality cells are the key to a safe operation. For this you need a lot of know-how. Dr Olaf Wollersheim of Solarwatt talks through some of the main topics and solutions.

Software platforms are emerging as a crucial element in the rapidly expanding energy storage industry. Alex Eller of Navigant Research explains the crucial role software plays in underpinning the value of energy storage systems.

To mark the launch of the new-look Energy-Storage.News site, our team profile six of the leading global system integrators working in energy storage today.

The potential for storage to help stabilise the grid has finally been recognised in the UK, where battery projects took all of the 200MW on offer in a recent frequency response tender. David Pickup looks at the evolving role of storage in the future grid and how further policy support can help it flourish.

The complexities of combining batteries and solar microgrids are explained by Sam Duby, who is co-founder and director of research and development at mini-grid technologies company SteamaCo Ltd and consults for TFE Consulting. TFE Consulting is a strategy consulting firm focusing on accelerating the energy transition in emerging markets and is active in Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The remote microgrid market is maturing regarding technology and financing. Now improved sales and marketing methods are needed to commercialise the huge potential on offer in this burgeoning market segment, writes Thomas Hillig.

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