As I briefly mentioned a few days ago in a post about home solar power developments in the United States, the solar power storage market is poised to boom in Germany. There is an increasing amount of renewable energy generation in Germany, reaching a record 74% of national demand for a short time last month. Within this, residential solar power is becoming widespread, so there is a growing demand to store more of this variable, renewable energy for later use.
Installing battery technology will allow solar system users to store any excess energy generated during the day, and to use it later themselves, instead of selling it back to the grid at low prices. In this situation there will be little need to buy more expensive grid energy at night, during peak usage times in the home. It makes good economic sense, and may solve a lingering issue in the minds of many potential solar systems owners. Why have a solar system when we’re not at home much during the day, when the sun is shining?
The energy storage market is just getting started. A top market research company, EuPD, is expecting sales of solar power storage systems to increase from 6,000 units in 2013 to about 100,000 units in 2018.
There is so much potential for new renewable energy storage that the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, has called for battery technology to be returned to its position as a leading industry in Germany. GTAI, the German Economic Affairs and Energy Ministry’s foreign trade and investment promotion agency, is already proclaiming that there is “a quiet revolution has been taking place in the photovoltaic industry.”
Image CC licensed by jim Winstead: Solar panels on houses in Germany
Via Cleantechnica
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