Revision of Renewable Energy Directive – The Role of Batteries
Better recognizing battery storage services in a renewables-based electricity system
The revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) is a unique opportunity to take concrete actions towards climate-neutrality and to accelerate the green electrification of our society, including in mobility and buildings. The revision of REDII is particularly important to now incorporate key enabling technologies, such as battery energy storage, in a renewables-based electricity infrastructure.
- Battery storage systems are critical to ensuring a smooth energy production by balancing the grid in off-peak and low electricity production periods, providing a reliable and permanent interface between the production site and the electricity grid, and helping to regulate the voltage and frequency of the grid.
- They have become substantial to limiting curtailment of excess energy and, hence, limiting energy waste.
- Further, renewables + storage has enabled a more decentralized and smarter electricity infrastructure that better enables the “utilization of local energy sources, increased local security of energy supply, shorter transport distances and reduced energy transmission losses”.
- Batteries are a cost-effective storage solution.
To foster the deployment of cost-efficient energy storage solutions, most notably of battery energy storage systems, and, thus, the accelerated deployment of renewable energy, a dedicated storage target should be implemented.
Generally, the Renewable Energy Directive needs to become more ambitious and prescriptive to ensure that the EU renewable energy objectives are reached:
- We support increasing the overall Union target for renewable energy to more than 40% and introducing a target of at least 14% for renewable energy in transport by 2030.
- Administrative bottlenecks, such as permits or alternating support schemes, need to be eliminated to drive the deployment of renewable energy.
- In view of the important grid services delivered by battery energy storage systems, tender procedures should include clear storage criteria throughout the Member States.
- To achieve the climate-neutrality objective, public authorities have a critical role to play. Green procurement is, thus, of paramount importance.
- RED II should foster self-consumption as well as renewable energy communities.
- To achieve the 2050 climate-neutrality objective, the use of renewable energy in electricity, buildings, industry and transport needs to increase.
- An effective way to increase the share of renewables in the transport sector is to further support electric vehicles and to accelerate the development of a smart charging infrastructure.
- Fostering digitalization and a smart electricity infrastructure will be paramount to the accelerated development of a decarbonized electricity system.
More information:
Download our full answer to the REDII public consultation or access here our position paper on the potential of renewable energies and battery storage.