EA: You founded the Energy Storage Association UK to champion storage as a cornerstone of the clean energy transition. What gap were you looking to fill when you set it up? 

JH: For many years there was a gap with existing trade associations who were not looking at a solution based approach to renewable energy and the fact that generation alone was not the answer. If we develop greater renewable energy generation capabilities we need to store energy when it’s in excess and release when there’s a shortage, which is why we focus on behind the meter energy storage all the way through to Long Duration energy storage – as we need multiple solutions to mitigate risks. 

EA: You'll be leading the roundtable on industrial decarbonisation for growth and resilience. What do you see as the most pressing infrastructure barrier to accelerating delivery right now? 

JH: Grid connection and delays are for me the greatest barrier and the fact DNOs do not accurately measure energy at the low voltage level, then they do not understand the “grids” capacity and capability, but likewise property owners want peak capacity all the time and this is where energy storage can also play a key role, in minimising a site’s impact on the grid in terms of connection and capacity 

EA: What investment drivers need to change to give industry the confidence to commit to low-carbon infrastructure at scale? 

JH: Solar generation and wind generation already give a guaranteed payback depending upon the site conditions, but at present there’s no “guarantee” on the return on investment from energy storage. Despite the known grid services revenues of flexibility, frequency, balancing etc and the tariff optimisation opportunities, these are all open to the market and therefore quantifiable and guaranteed ROIs are impossible – despite many owners seeing payback in 4-5 years from installing energy storage. The clean flexibility roadmap starts to identify the mechanisms how this can be tackled, but greater certainty in the ROI will encourage greater adoption of technology 

EA: How can market reform be structured to fast-track technology deployment without creating new bottlenecks elsewhere? 

JH: At present NESO models energy storage as “generation” assets due to the fact you can export energy from the grid as with generation. The fact that export can be ensured it only happens when the grid needs it or has the capacity is ignored – financial mechanisms can ensure this takes place as well as physical restrictions. NESO are talking of amending this categorisation and this fundamentally must happen to ensure connection reform and greater capacity to store excess energy for when it is needed 

EA: Where do you see the biggest gaps in workforce capability, and what practical steps can close them in time to meet decarbonisation targets? 

JH: The renewable sector is an incredibly fast growing space and therefore the opportunities are everywhere, electricians and HV Electricians in particular are always going to be key, but roofers, technical engineers and software and firmware engineers are perhaps the most critical. Our role is encouraging young people to see our sector as interesting to join and purpose led, plus encourage retraining from industries declining. We have a fantastic story and industry, we just need to get the message out for people to join us.