Previous Energy Storage Summit Agenda

How far has the industry come in terms of reforming the grid connections process for storage since last year? What does a new UK government mean for the sector and how does government plan to tackle more complicated technical issues which need to be resolved to ensure that the transition doesn’t get derailed? 

Fully understanding and monitoring the intricacies of the cells that make up your battery system is becoming more important, as more batteries are coming online, and optimisation strategies are becoming more and more important for owners. 

• Understanding State of Charge (SoC) and State of Health (SoH) for batteries and the implications of that data 
• What do they tell you about your system and what should you do with the data? 
• What effect is state of charge having on bidding, particularly in ancillary service markets? 

For investors, there are so many opportunities coming across their desk – so why have they chosen to back that developer? This fireside chat will count on insight from some of the top investors in energy storage today, sharing their wisdom and thinking behind why they have made the decisions they have. 

•  Utility-Scale Energy Storage: Unlocking the potential of shared storage projects to optimize grid performance, enhance energy distribution, and reduce costs through collaborative ownership and operations.
•  Commercial and Industrial Applications: Showcasing advanced solutions for high-energy-consuming enterprises such as oil fields and manufacturing plants, where storage systems ensure reliability, optimize energy costs, and support sustainability goals.
•  EV Charging and Integration: Exploring the synergies between energy storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, addressing the dual needs for grid resilience and the rapid growth of EV adoption.

We will delve into how these applications are shaping the energy storage market, driving technological advancements, and contributing to global energy sustainability. By highlighting practical use cases and HyperStrong’s innovative products and solutions, this session offers a forward-looking perspective on powering tomorrow’s energy needs.

Explore the journey of a Route to Market (RTM) provider as we navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving energy landscape. This session will dive into product evolution, the day-to-day operational challenges we encounter, and the strategies we deploy to address them. Gain insights into the latest advancements in trading and optimisation tools and discover how we continually adapt to provide seamless market access and deliver value to our partners.

An overview of noise reduction strategies, focusing on site selection, equipment, and operational controls.

Once planning and permitting is out of the way, long lead times at certain points in the construction cycle are holding up project timelines, and these supply chain issues do not have an overnight fix. 

• What’s so tricky about transformers? 
• At what point in the timeline should developers be procuring and ordering transformers and inverters, and what specifications should they have as a minimum? 
• How can the sector attract and retain the right skilled labourers and technicians for the EPC side of the industry? 
• How are countries outside of the UK tackling this problem? 

As batteries reach the end of their lifespan and degrade over time, it’s time to start thinking about supplementing or replacing the battery capacity – known as augmentation. This path is not yet well-trodden in the industry, but stakeholders are starting to devise strategies for this point in the asset’s lifecycle. 

• How should you approach augmentation, or retrofitting, your battery asset? 
• What strategies exist already and how do they differ? 
• When is the best time to start thinking about augmentation? 
• How can you ensure that the output of the battery is maximised at the same time as minimising any costs? 

What are the real portfolio aspects of having generation and storage together at the same site in today’s landscape? This discussion will go further than just looking at the constraints of building a co-located project but will explore the real benefits to your business case of having co-located assets in your portfolio.

• What does co-location mean for your returns and what benefits can it offer you as an investor or owner? 
• What are the specific issues that a battery can give your solar site protection from, and how much protection does it actually provide? 
• How do you track revenues from co-located sites? 

With a target of 200GW of installed capacity in Europe by 2030, the energy storage market is also expanding, posing huge challenges for storage products and plant operations, and the market is in urgent need of more cost-effective and convenient products. How can we help Europe achieve this goal?

Daniel Crotzer, CEO of Fractal EMS, a global leader in energy management systems for solar and battery systems, shares insights into the top integration mistakes observed in utility-scale BESS and hybrid projects. Learn how to avoid the top mistakes that lead to technical and financial underperformance.

• What is the current market maturity in these regions?
• What are the market trends and growth potential? What local regulations and available subsidies should be considered when starting a BESS project?
• Who are the first movers driving the market forward?
• How can project success be achieved? How to address critical topics such as integration and grid operator compliance test?
• Is the concern regarding BESS cybersecurity reasonable?

This presentation highlights the rapid growth of renewable energy and the critical need for energy storage to address resource variability and grid stability. It explores traditional hybridization solutions and introduces the innovative concept of Advanced Hybrid Solution. By positioning storage as the main character, it emphasizes the advantages of cost savings, enhanced PV energy utilization, and accessible grid services in the UK.

Due to various safety issues with BESS assets, concerns around the environmental impact, fires, and more, milestones such as obtaining planning consent, environmental permitting regimes and supply chain concerns are becoming more prominent.

This panel will discuss potential new regulations and barriers to deployment for projects under development and even in construction.

• How are developers factoring in higher costs associated with environmental permitting and more complexity in the planning phase?
• How can developers remain compliant with projects at different stages of the construction cycle?
• What are the implications of retroactively implementing new regulations on existing projects?
• Are there enough consultants and engineers to deliver projects safely and on time?

What does the prospect of 24/7 carbon-free energy mean for energy storage and for future operations, as well as revenue opportunities and cost-saving for the industry? We all know that we can’t decarbonise our energy system without energy storage, but how do owners of energy storage assets evaluate and get paid for the carbon emission savings they enable? Our panel of experts will attempt to unpack the complex world of carbon accounting in energy storage for us, highlighting the various ways the carbon impact of storage projects can be measured, and emerging market mechanisms that could become an important new revenue stream for BESS investors.

All battery chemistries degrade with use over time, in particular systems using lithium – there is no avoiding this issue. But how will degradation affect your battery, and in turn your revenues and returns? 

• What strategies are in place to mitigate the effects of degradation, such as retrofitting or augmenting BESS? 
• What actions can worsen or perpetuate degradation from the owner or operator perspective? 
• Insurance implications – increased prices have a huge impact on asset managers and owners 
• How will degradation affect revenues across different business cases? 

• Provide a strategic overview of the wide array of grid connection reforms currently underway in Great Britain.
• Explain how the reforms are being implemented and what the main themes are.
• Explore the reasons behind the reforms and their potential impact on investment in British solar over the next three or more years.
• Attempt to answer the key question: What will the grid connection process look like when the reforms are complete?

This panel discussion will explore the complexities of transforming your business into a resilient and respected portfolio player in energy storage. With markets maturing, stronger competition, and much more experience in the market, it’s important to understand what will constitute a successful portfolio owner in the long-term.

• Making sure you have the best sites, financing combinations, technical and design teams 
• Outsourcing or in-house for the win? 
• Designing innovative and creative revenue strategies across multiple markets  
• What are the main obstacles emerging for smaller players? 

As European markets mature and more data is available, this comparative panel will analyse and understand how the revenue stack has evolved over time in mature markets and what might happen in the future in places like Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

• Analysing revenues earned by BESS systems in correlation to prices
• Understanding the increase in revenues from wholesale trading and the Balancing Mechanism in the UK
• Are revenues in GB where we need them to be?
• What do key stakeholders think will happen with the stack in markets like Germany, the Netherlands and Italy?
• Which countries are offering the highest returns?
• What concerns still exist with share prices in some of the biggest energy storage funds and portfolios in some of the strongest markets?

Europe exceeded over 10GW of installed capacity for the first time in 2023, and year-end for 2024 has even higher hopes for the region. Many of the trailblazing countries now have their own national targets and strategies specifically geared towards energy storage. This panel will set the scene on investing in Europe’s energy storage future, and how to build a bankable business case for European projects.

• Understanding the long-term implications of new offtake agreements for batteries is a key hurdle for investors to overcome. Which companies are likely to be offtakers, and how deep is that pool?
• The future for tolling agreements in Europe – future prices, contract lengths, and combinations
• Are tolling terms and offers better on the continent?
• What kind of risk and offtake structures are private equity firms looking for when it comes to storage?

Choosing the right Battery Energy Storage System is critical for ensuring both profitability and sustainability in energy projects. While initial costs often dominate decision-making, this presentation will highlight the hidden expenses and overlooked revenue opportunities that differentiate high-performing systems.

Key insights will include:

• Identifying hidden costs such as installation complexity, EPC, software/controls, foundation, trenching, wiring, transportation/handling and land requirements.
• Exploring features that maximize revenue including usable lifespan, depth of discharge, RTE, operational reliability, accurate SOC/SOH measurement, safety features, warranties, and commissioning/deployment times.
• Demonstrating how factory-installed and tested all-in-one solutions offer savings, enhanced revenue and efficiency compared to traditional systems.

Attendees will leave equipped with strategies to evaluate BESS options comprehensively, ensuring their investments deliver long-term financial and operational benefits.

With the date for the EU’s battery passport regulations fast approaching and already impacting many stakeholders, what do you need to know to ensure your battery is compliant? The session will focus on the following key questions:

• What changes will need to be made when the EU Battery Passport regulation comes into force and how can developers, investors and manufacturers plan for this?
• How can we make a battery less impactful on the environment at all levels of the supply chain?
• What are the unknown recycling issues which the industry will face in 10 years’ time and how can we plan for this?
• ESG best practice for batteries going forward, focusing on the supply chain side and understanding the traceability of battery components
• Ethical considerations in the supply chain and how the industry can tackle this

As the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sector across Europe and especially the UK faces new operational challenges, such as market price volatility and saturation of ancillary services, maximizing asset profitability while ensuring long-term durability has become essential to match the Business Plan expectations.

In this session, our expert will answer critical questions, such as:

• Business Case from the field #1: How to ensure the Value Maximization of my BESS asset?
• Business Case from the field #2: What are the leverages to boost the performance of the Optimizer?
• Business Case from the field #3: What are the key tips to avoid painful downtime events?

Will tolling agreements continue to guarantee revenue certainty for UK projects in 2025 and beyond? This keynote panel will bring together key UK market players to discuss the precedent set in 2024, and what this means for the future of the UK and European markets. 

• How will tolling agreements shape the future of the market in the UK, Europe and beyond?
• Innovative and different types of tolling agreements that are under negotiation in Europe and where?
• Are tolling terms and offers much better on the continent?
• Comparison with the Australia and US on tolling arrangements

Tailored Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs provide several crucial benefits for BESS Power Conversion Systems (PCS) compared to conventional systems:

• Better roundtrip efficiency, leading to higher energy throughput, reduced battery CAPEX, or improved battery aging.
• A very robust topology with full bidirectionality and stable transient operation for use cases such as FRT and inertia.
• Significant design reserves allowing multiple power cycles per day and overload capability for inertia applications.

Is co-location mandatory or just a bonus in European markets? What happens when price cannibalisation happens in GB, and you don’t have battery storage to complement you? When you are in trouble with PPA prices and high power prices, having battery storage to support revenues is a no-brainer. These are some statements you might hear when talking about the opportunities of co-location. This debate will see critics on each side go head-to-head on the polarising issue of co-location vs. Standalone. 

The energy storage market is shifting toward longer-duration systems and co-located Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with solar plants due to limited grid connection capacity. Modular, high-efficiency central inverter-based Power Converter Systems offer cost-effective solutions for these demands, simplifying operations with a single converter type. EPC Power introduces a new Silicon Carbide-based modular bi-directional converter for PV, BESS, and hybrid systems. The +500 kW converter, scalable to 6.6 MW power blocks, features common mode voltage free system which enables high efficiency for low-voltage coupled PV+BESS applications.

The scalability of our industry is crucial for the energy transition, while nature and society depend on the sustainability of our value chains . This is why Elinor Batteries set out to become a Net Positive Company. On one hand, Elinor is raising the bar in efficient and sustainable manufacturing, delivering game-changing products tailored to the BESS market. On the other hand, Elinor advocates for real standardization in the battery industry. This is crucial to prove sustainability and performance, delivering greater project value to end users and enabling sustainable growth.

With fire safety concerns directly correlating to guaranteed performance and ensuring revenue, what industry innovations have we seen in fire safety in the past few years?

In 2024, there are many other options aside from lithium-ion systems. The key challenges stem from understanding the benefits and limitations of different technology, as well as cost barriers and more often than not, creating a favourable environment for LDES projects to actually get built.

• What does the current regulatory and policy landscape look like for projects longer than 4 hours, and how has this moved on since 2024?
• How has the cap-and-floor consultation in the UK enabled investment into long-duration energy storage projects until now?
• How will the MACSE tender in Italy drive forward and set a precedent for longer-duration systems in future?

In a project lifespan, there are two common terms that dictate key milestones: Ready-to-Build (RTB) and Commercial Operation Date (COD). The first initiates construction, whilst the second marks project completion before entering the operational stage. On this often long and complex journey, what does it take to go from RTB to COD in Europe? 

• How does the process vary across different markets? 
• How can you ensure that all legal and contractual obligations put in place during the planning phase are fulfilled before projects start being constructed? 
• Once construction finance has been raised, how should you approach the construction itself and what types of players should you work with? 
• Once COD is achieved, what are the next steps to unlocking financial incentives?