Homeowners in Ireland can now access grants worth hundreds of euros to fund the installation of solar and energy storage systems as the government launches its first micro-generation scheme for the technology.

A set of ambitious policy measures have been put in place in New Jersey, after Governor Phil Murphy signed off documents that aim towards 100% clean energy for the state by 2050.

Australia has launched new interactive maps of the electricity grid specifically to support decentralised usage of distributed energy resources (DERs) including battery storage, renewable energy and smart demand management.

While solar and energy storage are not inextricably linked, at least not yet, storage helps households make the most of their solar power and one day could help grid networks make their final leap of faith. In the first of two blogs from the Energy Storage Europe conference and exhibition in Düsseldorf this week, PV Tech Storage talks to experts and industry figures as they tackled some of the biggest issues facing storage and renewable energy.

Dr Rahul Walawalkar, founder and executive director of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), on why his organisation is excited by the promises of the Modi government, how he hopes the decade between 2015 and 2025 will be one of “energy infrastructure transformation” for the country and the role energy storage and microgrids might play in that transition.