Trial shows batteries could enable at least 25% more renewable energy to be utilised in peak times.
Northern Powergrid's two-year distributed storage and solar study into smart home batteries shows that energy storage systems could reduce the impact of domestic solar on the network by 20%.
By storing solar electricity instead of exporting it to the grid, more domestic solar could be accommodated without the need for network upgrades. The report also suggests that government incentives could stimulate the uptake of energy storage further.
The project supported community homes - managed by Energise Barnsley and Berneslai Homes - to save money on their energy bills and cut carbon emissions, while making the local power network more efficient, greener and cheaper to run.
The network operator worked with Moixa, the developer of smart software for domestic battery and electric vehicle (EV) charging, to manage a cluster of 40 of its smart home batteries connected alongside 27 sets of rooftop solar to form a virtual power plant in Oxspring, Barnsley.
"This project has unveiled significant insights into a future flexible domestic electricity market, and demonstrated how smart energy storage systems can maximise benefits for both consumers and network operators," said Paris Hadjiodysseos, smart grid development engineer for Northern Powergrid.
Simon Daniel, CEO of Moixa, said: "In the year of COP26, it's field trials such as this taking place live in Britain's streets that are crucial for solidifying the UK's leading position in the battle against climate breakdown."
Andy Heald, director Energise Barnsley, added: "This project shows that all residential solar should be installed with some form of storage if the price is right, as it will be a net benefit to a future flexible grid."
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