Root-Power announces solar expansion
Root-Power, the leading Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) specialist, has announced its plans to expand into the solar energy market. The independent power producer will be collocating solar PV generation directly to a number of its existing BESS sites – with 330MW of solar projects already in the pipeline – unlocking new levels of efficiency, reliability and sustainability.
Pairing solar directly with its existing storage sites will allow the BESS specialist to optimise the performance of both, reducing energy loss and maximising the use of clean power. Its combined solar and storage sites will provide stable, dispatchable power that smooths fluctuations and supports grid stability. By leveraging existing infrastructure, Root-Power will be able to accelerate its project timelines for solar.
Neil Brooks, Managing Director at Root-Power said: “We’re excited today to announce our latest development initiative with our diversification into solar power. Integrating solar with energy storage infrastructure unlocks the potential of both technologies, offering stable supplementary revenue to complement our battery portfolio while unlocking new potential funding opportunities.
These carefully developed, strategically projects will be designed to enhance our existing battery energy storage portfolio, aligning us with the ambitions set out in CP2030 and the UK’s NetZero targets. Our plans also involve integrating energy storage into existing operational solar projects, and we look forward to announcing more details with our partners in due course.
Earlier this year we announced our 2.4GW Long Duration Energy Storage portfolio, combined with our existing 1GW portfolio of Lithium-Ion batteries these new solar projects demonstrate the range of diverse capabilities that exist within Root-Power.
Polling undertaken by Root-Power earlier this year found that members of the English public are more supportive of new renewable generation projects in their area if they are co-developed with battery storage alongside them to store the energy they generate. The polling also found that English councillors are aligned with their constituents on this issue, with 75% stating they would support a solar farm with battery storage being developed in their area, a figure that falls to just 62% if the solar farm was developed without battery storage.
With the Government planning to ramp up the deployment of renewable generation as part of the Clean Power 2030 plan – doubling onshore wind, trebling solar and quadrupling offshore wind – battery storage and solar colocation will play a critical role in delivering this plan.
