Welcoming the UKERC report which draws on a comprehensive review of the integration costs of variable renewables and concludes that these costs are modest; that they need to be understood in context; and that all technologies have a system cost, Leonie Greene, Head of External Affairs at the STA said;
"UKERC's report is timely. It amplifies industry calls on Government and the regulator to accelerate opening up UK markets for flexibility technologies, such as storage and Demand Side Response. This will ensure that a clean development pathway for transport, as well as power, remains as cheap as possible for consumers.
There has naturally been interest in the cost implications of incorporating new technologies like solar into our grids. This report joins many others concluding the costs of doing so are modest, and will remain so if our system is more flexible going forwards. Furthermore, storage is rapidly reducing in price. Solar boasts an extraordinary synergy with storage and the two technologies combined allow output to match demand requirements exceptionally closely, transforming integration costs into a potential net benefit.
This debate has contributed to some inertia for solar power, which now cannot access wholesale markets despite its low cost. We now need action. There is widespread consensus now across the global energy sector on the direction of travel. The quicker the UK moves to unlock solar and flexibility markets the bigger the potential economic wins. That applies not only at home – UK industries will have a tremendous advantage in what will be a colossal world market if we move early."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
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For further information or to request an interview, please contact:
Name: Leonie Greene
Title: Head of External Affairs
Tel: 0203 637 2945
Main line: 0203 637 2945
Background on the Solar Trade Association:
The mission of the Solar Trade Association is to empower the UK solar transformation. We are paving the way for solar to deliver the maximum possible share of UK energy by 2030 by enabling a bigger and better solar industry. We represent both solar heat and power, and have a proven track record of winning breakthroughs for solar PV and solar thermal.
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