We’re at an exciting time for the energy industry. Renewable sources of power have technically existed for hundreds of years, but today sees them picking up momentum at an awe-inspiring rate. Each new year brings with it a whole raft of innovations, and this week at Low Carbon Energy, we’re taking a quick look at how the renewables and battery revolution is changing our world.

Why Are Renewables Taking Over?

Put simply, renewable sources of energy (especially windfarms and solar panels) are more viable today than they’ve ever been at any point in our history. We’re making steady technological advances with every passing year, and their prices continue to drop; they’ve recently achieved cost parity with fossil fuels.

Meanwhile it takes a whole decade to develop, build and commission a coal-fired power station, and up to another twenty years before there’s even any return on the investment. In today’s climate, that makes every new power station a big gamble – especially since so many of them are already closing down! Renewables don’t have the same limitations, making them a lot more viable as a source of power.

How Is Battery Storage Solving Problems?

Now, we’ll be honest. Though they don’t share the limits of coal or natural gas, solar and wind do have a well-known separate weakness, and that’s the weather. But having said that, they complement each other well – when it’s not sunny, it’s often windy, and vice versa. On rare occasions, it’s neither, which isn’t always fantastic news for customers of our business energy services.

Here’s where battery storage solutions like Powerwall can come to the rescue!

Unlike power stations, batteries don’t need fuel, can be mass produced and release their energy instantly, making them a valuable resource for homeowners and businesses. They also give their owners control over their own power supply, rather than having to be reliant on the national grid.

Then there are the financial benefits – solar batteries can contain excess electricity generated from solar panels, allowing it to be resold onto the national grid. So not only can you save money on your electricity, but with careful usage you can even profit from it!

What Does The Future Hold For Battery Storage?

Right now, batteries have two major bulk markets: electricity storage, and electric vehicles. Both have a vested interest in advancing the technology, which is great for us! When one industry makes an advance, it’s shared with the other by default too. Basically, we’ve got two industries working on improving the same technology, so we all get to share the benefits.

Advances in battery storage naturally buoy up the renewable energy sector, too. Apart from giving us all individual financial gains, this also this means a globally reduced carbon footprint, which is fantastic news for humanity as a species. After all, we all live on the same planet! As the electric vehicle and battery storage industries continue to grow at an incredible rate, it looks like the renewables sector has an ever-brighter future.

Have you joined the energy revolution yet? Our solar solutions have particularly beneficial applications for a whole range of industries, have a look at our case studies to see how we’ve already helped businesses just like yours!

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