Getting grid interconnection rights for energy storage in the US is difficult.

Barriers have been removed allowing for battery storage projects five times the size as the current limit in Britain, in a move hailed as a “significant, positive and well-timed” step.

“We work hard every day to continue to push forward to the best of our ability, as we believe that we must do all that we can do to keep our projects on track and support the greater economy.”

Installing and maintaining renewable energy resources can be viewed as an “essential service”, according to the California Solar + Storage Association (CALSSA).

As US states work to address and enable the swift growth of distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar and energy storage, the issues surrounding their interconnection to the electric grid require close attention, Sara Baldwin, VP for regulatory affairs at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), explains.

Codes for safe installation of energy storage systems (ESS) will go into effect on a permanent basis after 1 November.

Legislation recently introduced in California to cut red tape and reduce permitting times for energy storage systems and currently awaiting the state Governor’s rubber stamp could also halve the costs associated with paperwork, commercial system provider Stem has said.

A drive aimed at reducing the soft costs of distributed energy storage systems by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) could award over US$8 million of funding.