Making the most of renewables: the role of onshore co-location in an integrated energy system

22 April 2024 - RenewableUK report

A new report by RenewableUK shows that building more energy storage projects alongside onshore wind and solar farms reduces electricity system costs, benefitting billpayers in the long term.

These storage projects are also vital in providing flexibility in our clean energy system to ensure it continues to meet electricity demand at all times, especially as demand is set to grow with the take-up of technologies such as electric vehicles.

The report sets out the case for reforming the planning system and introducing financial support mechanisms to encourage more battery storage and green hydrogen projects to “co-locate” at sites where clean electricity is generated throughout the UK. This means they could be built on wind and solar sites which already have planning permission and share existing grid connections rather than having to wait for years in a queue, saving time and money.