Wind and solar power lost due to battery storage issues

Enough renewable electricity to power almost half a million Irish homes was lost during the first nine months of this year because of limitations on the electricity system.

New figures from EirGrid show that more than 13% of the wind and solar electricity available in the Republic of Ireland during that period could not be used.

The renewable energy industry says the loss highlights the urgent need to accelerate the deployment of large-scale battery storage to capture surplus renewable electricity, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and help cut energy bills for consumers.

The issue will be highlighted at Ireland's first Renewable Energy Expo, which will open at the RDS in Dublin.

The two-day event is jointly organised by Wind Energy Ireland, Solar Ireland and Energy Storage Ireland, bringing the three sectors together for the first time on a shared national platform.

Ireland has reached several significant renewable energy milestones, with renewables accounting for half of electricity generation last year and connected solar capacity now exceeding three gigawatts.

However, the expansion of wind and solar generation is increasingly exposing limitations in the electricity system's capacity to accommodate renewable power when it is available.

Battery storage can help address the problem by absorbing surplus electricity when renewable generation is high and releasing it back onto the grid when it is needed.

Noel Cunniffe, Chief Executive of Wind Energy Ireland, said Ireland has the potential to become an energy-independent country powered by affordable, domestically generated electricity.

"That would reduce our exposure to imported fossil fuels, cut energy bills, attract investment and support thousands of skilled jobs across the country," he said.

He added: "The next step is making better use of the renewable power we already produce.

"In the first nine months of this year, we lost enough wind and solar energy to power around 496,000 homes."

Solar Ireland Chief Executive Ronan Power said the challenge now is to ensure that every unit of renewable electricity generated delivers the maximum possible benefit for consumers.

He said wind and solar together supplied approximately 42% of Ireland's electricity last month, demonstrating that renewable energy can be deployed at scale.

However, he said, solar, wind, battery storage and the electricity grid need to be developed as one connected system.

"Battery storage, shared grid connections and greater flexibility can help us use more of the renewable electricity we already produce, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and ultimately deliver better value for consumers," he said.

Energy Storage Ireland Director Bobby Smith called on the Government to remove unnecessary costs and barriers delaying the rollout of battery projects.

"If Ireland is serious about getting gas off the grid, we need to get much more storage connected, much faster," he said.

He said combining batteries with renewable generation would allow developers to make better use of existing grid connections while capturing clean electricity that would otherwise be lost.

"Delaying storage deployment ultimately means higher costs for Irish consumers," he added.