AMPYR Distributed Energy Shares Hot Topics of Discussion from Solar & Storage Live

Three years on from lockdown restrictions being lifted, it still feels like a landmark moment to see the industry gathering en masse at events and exhibitions – Solar & Storage Live was no exception. While having so many people in one place made the tradeshow ideal for meetings and introductions, it was also a veritable hotbed for industry insight and discussions around critical topics from all facets of the solar sector.

As the sponsors of the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Theatre at this year’s event, AMPYR Distributed Energy (ADE) shared valuable insights on how distributed energy is benefiting the C&I sector, as well as answering some of the burning questions from businesses in attendance. Equally, ADE heard from some of its knowledgeable partners and the wider industry. But, as is often the case, the conversations held on the fringes of the theatre provided a more focused window on wider talking points. Here’s what struck us as the hot topics from the show.

Green shoots

In a nutshell, the distributed energy market is growing at pace. The C&I Theatre was a popular destination for visitors each day, reflecting a high level of interest that ties in with projections for the C&I rooftop, ground, and canopy-mounted solar.

Add to this long-awaited policy updates that came into play last autumn, such as removing the planning requirements for solar installations greater than 1 MW and the introduction of the permitted development right of Class 0A, allowing, subject to prior approval, the development of solar canopies in the curtilage of commercial buildings, and it’s clear that behind-the-meter (BTM) solutions are set to play a major role in the government’s target to triple solar usage in the UK by 2030.

Battery buzz

The BTM battery market is seemingly reaching a tipping point. Indeed, many of the conversations ADE had reflected the fact that batteries will be an important part of the future distributed energy product mix. There’s a real desire to make this happen, but it’s only now that the economics are starting to make onsite storage viable, either combined with solar or standalone. Batteries are an essential part of the renewable energy ecosystem and an important part of ADE’s offer too, so it was extremely valuable for us to be able to tap into the expertise at the event and stay at the cutting edge of what is a very fast-moving market.  The ability to combine solar and storage onsite increases energy savings, delivers more green power, and creates stronger resiliency for customers.

Continuity of supply is often a concern for businesses considering the switch to solar, especially as ADE’s green and pleasant land is often washed-out. Unlike its continental European counterparts, who are blessed with more sunshine hours, the quirks of the British weather mean that both making hay while the sun shines and then storing it are of equal importance.

Quality assurance

Across talks given by both speakers in the C&I Theatre and in the conversations that followed, risk management was a clear and present theme.

Businesses are rightly focused on the longevity and future performance of assets. Amid the fluctuations and financial risk that the standard energy grid supply has presented to businesses over the past few years, there is a growing emphasis on securing long-term stability and the reliability of switching to solar.

With BTM solar also being relatively novel for some businesses, they are looking for reassurance that installations are high quality, reliable, and will be maintained to remain so. They have an ongoing desire to avoid the cost and hassle of performance issues for solar arrays – or worse still, the potential for fire safety risk. Indeed, ADE was very encouraged by how much the industry is focusing on addressing concerns and impressed by the quality of conversations about the safe delivery of solar power to customers.

Investment challenges

Attracting investment to distributed energy is also not without its challenges. While customer demand is high, investor perspective is still catching up, and as a result, capital can often be quite selective, despite some attractive features. Returns are typically higher than traditional renewables, while merchant exposure and planning/grid risk are both low.

ADE has been engaged with a wide range of businesses, from sports stadia and conference centers to distribution hubs and factories, all keen to harness the benefits of onsite generation. The primary concerns, of course, are how much it will cost and what the risks might be. When funded by the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model, for example, there are no upfront costs, making adoption of renewable energy technologies much more accessible for many.

ADE has found that there’s considerable demand from a wider range of organisations and businesses to install distributed energy. So much so that the company is well on its way to committing upwards of £300m (equity and debt) to renewable energy projects in the UK.

Critical to success is combining expertise and strong partnerships with flexibility and agility to deliver a diverse range of projects. Meeting existing and future partners at key industry events is an invaluable part of the process of building quality networks and contacts that can deliver reliability, quality, and resilience – exactly what the C&I sector needs when securing its future energy supplies through specialist third-party funding and delivery partners.