The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will host their fourth workshop International Energy Storage Policy and Regulation at the Energy Storage Europe 2015 Conference and Expo, March 10 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The workshop will collect input and feedback on IRENAs technology roadmap for electricity storage, due to be launched this summer. The roadmap will guide IRENAs 139 Member States on the key activities needed to support energy storage for the global expansion of renewable energy.
IRENAs REmap 2030 report finds that the share of renewables in the electricity sector must double from 20 per cent today to at least 40 per cent by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change and solve a host of other socio-economic issues. To do so, an estimated 150 GW of battery storage will be needed, making storage a vital element in the renewable energy expansion.
Electricity storage systems can support the accelerated deployment of renewable power generation in multiple applications from residential to utility-scale, said Dolf Gielen, Director of IRENAs Innovation and Technology Center. International cooperation to exchange best practices and coordinate efforts to reduce costs and facilitate deployment are critical at this stage, which is why the roadmap for electricity storage will be instrumental.
More than 40 experts from politics, industry and science will take part in this workshop, including policy makers from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Island states from the Pacific to the Caribbean Ocean. The roadmap will identify the most important storage technologies in four application areas, and outline measures for the introduction and application of storage systems.
The Energy Storage Europe Conference and Expo is one of the most important events of the European energy industry. The conference focuses on issues such as new developments in storage technology, future energy market design concepts, grid integration and prospects for international markets, around 100 exhibitors are expected to showcase the latest energy storage technologies and solutions.
