Battery Storage Unplugged.

Written by Olivia White, Director

We all know what a battery looks like, right? Small, usually Duracell-coloured and there are never enough on Christmas Day. Scale up to a car battery and most people can picture them . . . a bit bigger, square-ish, pass me the jump leads. But when it comes to large scale infrastructure – the batteries we need to store the increasing volume of electricity required to power the UK – it’s a different story.

The lack of understanding about Battery Energy Storage Systems (or BESS for short) is significant and, with BESS projects being promoted through the planning system at an increasing rate, it’s a real challenge for developers, politicians and planning officers alike.

Polling we carried out earlier this year into public attitudes towards infrastructure reflects this on-the-ground experience. While 87% of people would support solar farm developments in their local area, only 47% felt the same way about the battery storage that is often co-located with them.

So, what can we do to turn this around and help people understand the vital role BESS will play in meeting our net zero goals? 

To help answer the question, we brought together Colin Turnbull (Director at DWD), Ben Kwok (Development Project Manager at RWE Renewables) and Neil Brooks (Managing Director at Root-Power) – all experienced in succesfully taking BESS applications through planning.

Their advice? 

Fire safety is one of the consistent concerns raised again BESS and developers have a responsibility to provide open and accessible information about the technology and how risks are managed. While there is guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council, there is still more that can be done both in terms of advice and resources within local Fire Services and developers should be engaging with them early on in the process.

A similarly proactive approach is needed to manage concerns around visual and noise impacts. Visualisations really help build understanding and trust, and are an essential part of any consultation toolkit. Our panel also acknowledged more could be done to explain the BESS needs case – particularly the socio-economic and net zero benefits.

With many communities grappling with multiple applications for different energy projects in their areas, deciphering the information can be challenging. Using consistent language, concise messaging and inclusive, accessible consultation materials is so important. But we would say that, wouldn’t we.

You can catch up on the Battery Storage Unplugged LinkedIn Live here.