The first large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) with grid-forming capabilities in Germany was inaugurated a few days ago.

Alternative technologies to lithium-ion are unlikely to oust the incumbent anytime soon, writes Anh Vu of Clean Energy Associates (CEA).

The versatility of battery storage to provide a broad range of services makes them “particularly valuable” to virtual power plants (VPPs), according to a senior advisor to the US Department of Energy (DOE).

UK-headquartered developer-investor Zenobē Energy and US recycling specialist Redwood Materials made the biggest VC-funded deals for energy storage companies in the first nine months of 2023.

The US Department of Energy has identified 1,800 sites in Alaska that could be suitable for new pumped hydro energy storage systems.

Energy storage costs in the US grew 13% from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, said the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in a cost benchmarking analysis.

China continues to lead rankings for involvement in the global battery supply chain, but the chasing pack of other countries is in flux.

Companies in the battery storage industry raised US$9.6 billion in corporate funding during H1 2021, with European manufacturing startup Northvolt once again the biggest single recipient of venture capital (VC) investment.

The UK reached a gigawatt of battery storage deployments in the second quarter of 2020 and the industry has 14.9GW in its development pipeline including 1.8GW of ready-to-build projects and 6.9GW with planning approvals in place.

Almost 70% of home solar PV in Germany comes with battery energy storage attached and the country’s residential storage market represented around 2.3GWh of installed capacity by the end of 2020.