Transmission and distribution (T&D) networks are the backbone of today’s electricity systems.

T&D networks ability to work continuously and reliably is key to modern society; however, this ability is being put to the test as grids evolve to more distributed, low-carbon models. T&D networks were designed to move electricity from large generation centres to thousands or millions of end users.

The energy systems of the future will rely on renewable generation, with low-cost wind and solar providing the bulk of the world’s electricity production.

But these generation technologies pose a problem for the grid: they cannot be ramped up and down as needed to keep track of changes in electricity demand. Instead, they are only available when the wind blows and the sun shines. This intermittency poses two problems for today’s grids.

Battery storage is fundamentally changing many parts of our energy system, but one area where
it can have the biggest impact is behind the meter (BTM) in a commercial or industrial (C&I) setting. C&I enterprises frequency face large energy bills and BTM battery storage can help address this issue in several ways, including:

+ Avoiding electricity network charges.
+ Benefiting from tariff differences.
+ Delivering value-added grid services.
+ Enhancing on-premise energy use.

The idea of light coming on at the flick of a switch is not as ubiquitous as one might think. Many millions of people, including 600 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone, live in rural areas without access to the grid.

Even many urban areas lack consistently reliable grid supplies. For these
people, renewable power offers an increasingly popular and established route to homegrown, low-cost energy. However, renewables such as solar PV and onshore wind are inherently intermittent and cannot be relied upon for continuous power supplies.