After another record-breaking year, in which the US surpassed 1GWh of deployed energy storage and China began its programme of building flow batteries several hundred megawatts in size each, we canvassed opinion on what 2018’s biggest challenges and successes were. In this first part, we look at the challenges faced by the industry in 2018.

Denmark’s largest energy company Orsted – formerly known as DONG Energy – has announced the completion of its first large-scale grid-connected energy storage project, a 20MW standalone battery system in Liverpool, England.

In another eventful and exciting year, Energy-Storage.news has been able to capture conversations and interviews with leading industry figures.

Centrica has formally announced the completion of its 49MW Roosecote battery storage project, 18 months after construction started.

Britain’s feed-in tariff scheme will close in full to new applicants from 31 March 2019 and the end of the present scheme without an explicit next step laid out is troubling for many in the renewable energy industries and those that care about energy security and climate change.

Power electronics giant Hitachi has acquired ABB’s power grids business in an US$11 billion (£8.7 billion) deal which cements its position in the energy solutions sector.

UK water utility Northumbrian Water is to pilot the use of battery storage units at a number of its sites under a new revenue-sharing partnership with developer Argonaut Power.

An updated technical guide to co-locating renewables and battery storage has clarified previously conflicting guidance on the matter, removing barriers and potentially unlocking the “tremendous potential” of solar homes.

The latest edition of PV Tech Power, Solar Media’s quarterly technical journal for the downstream solar PV industry is now available online, including ‘Storage & Smart Power’, a dedicated section brought to you by the team here at Energy-Storage.news.

Ben Hill is widely known in the solar and energy storage industries as the former Trina Solar executive who drove the Chinese company towards a leading position in the European market in the days of the large-scale boom before leaving to become Tesla’s VP for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. UK start-up Solo Energy is among a number of companies he is now working with closely as an advisor.