Germany Gets Serious on Energy Storage

BERLIN AND TOKYO, Feb. 22, 2013 /CNW/ - On May 1, 2013 access to one of Germany's investment incentive programs will be granted, but only to the bright spark who is able to solve the problem of storage capacity and the balancing of decentralized power generation.

That problem will feature high on the agenda at the Batteries Japan 2013 convention as well as the Fuel Cell Expo, both happening in Tokyo from Tuesday February 27 and where Germany Trade and Invest will be explaining why the country's Ministry of Environment so urgently requires further progress in this area of research.

Germany is pursuing an Energiewende [Energy Transition] policy aiming for de-nuclearisation of the power grid and a number of reductions in damaging gas emissions by a change to renewable energies.

"The policy has progressed well, and the increase of fluctuating renewable capacities is now causing the need for storage and smart grid expansion," said Tobias Rothacher, Senior Manager Renewable Energies at Germany Trade and Invest.

The program is aimed to develop solar power batteries which can be installed and connected in houses at the same time as solar panels.

Assuming this incentive program is successful, a detached house could save up to 60% of their electricity purchase, reckons the Fraunhofer Institute, while stored power can be used later or offloaded into the national energy grid.

"Such batteries not only make customers more independent from the energy price fluctuations, but the technological advances bring Germany closer to immunity from the energy and fuel merry-go-round," continued Rothacher.

"There's also the benefit of produced power being stored rather than being jettisoned expensively -offering further savings to plant operators."

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

SOURCE: Germany Trade and Invest

Germany Trade & Invest
Andreas Bilfinger
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