Should ESS be regulated?

This scheme has provided an incentive for consumers to invest in distributed renewable energy such as rooftop solar systems, but provides no incentive for BTM energy storage, within a flat tarif pricing structure. Regulations should cater to creating the necessary price signals to incentivize investments in ESS.

Should ESS be used in a solar auction?

Although some auctions are focused on ESS or solar plus storage, deployment targets emphasize only renewable energy generation and do not account for energy storage systems. Moreover, some regulations may be unfavorable to the deployment of ESS, such as the net-metering scheme on a flat tarif.

Why are energy storage systems being integrated in MENA?

The pace of integration of energy storage systems in MENA is driven by three main factors: 1) the technical need associated with the accelerated deployment of renewables, 2) the technological advancements driving ESS cost competitiveness, and 3) the policy support and power markets evolution that incentivizes investments.

Is ESS a viable technology in MENA?

With the lack of a long-duration grid-scale ESS to date, ESS is still viewed as an emerging technology in MENA and associated with high technology and financing risks by the private sector. Accordingly, ESS projects might require more equity spending as compared to conventional power and renewables projects for the short to medium term.

How will ESS work in the GCC?

In the GCC, it is expected that the bulk of ESS deployment will be FTM applications driven by VRE integration and firming. The six GCC states have significant capacity reserves margins reaching 35% in Saudi Arabia as a result of the 400 kVA GCCIA interconnection grid linking the GCC countries since 2011.

What regulations are unfavorable to the deployment of ESS?

Moreover, some regulations may be unfavorable to the deployment of ESS, such as the net-metering scheme on a flat tarif. Net-metering enables the end-user to ofset the electricity consumed from the utility side by injecting excess electricity generated on-site into the grid, during a defined period.