Solar & Storage Live 2024 took place in Birmingham NEC last week, a conference where energy industry leaders and innovators gathered to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and push for a cleaner, greener future. The event attracted a diverse group of stakeholders from around the world – from manufacturers to local installers – all focused on driving the renewable energy transition.  

The Hypercube team attended this year’s conference to gain deeper insights into the latest innovations and trends shaping the industry. After a packed schedule of keynotes, panels and presentations, here are my top five takeaways from Solar & Storage Live: 

1. The race to net-zero: A call to action 

The UK Government Environmental Agency goal is to achieve net-zero by 2050; this is supported by the target to cut carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Solar and storage organisations are at the forefront of driving this change. During the event’s opening keynote, a message from Michael Shanks, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, stressed the critical role solar energy plays in this transition. The UK government’s commitment to “investing for growth” has become a central theme, highlighting the importance of innovation and investment in scaling clean energy solutions as the UK races to meet its climate targets. 

From this keynote, it was clear to me that investments in technology innovations like AI and machine learning are critical for optimising and accelerating the energy transition. Renewable energy organisations must leverage advanced analytics and automation to enhance operational efficiency, forecast energy demand and seamlessly integrate energy sources. This means energy companies can manage their assets better, reduce growing costs and scale their contributions towards net-zero.  

2. Data, AI and machine learning have a huge role to play 

Building on my previous takeaway, the role of AI in solar and storage is a hot topic, and Hypercube Commercial Manager Cynthia Grainger moderated the “Elevate Your Solar and Storage Game with AI/ML” panel session, with discussions from industry experts Steve Sinclair (Head of Data at Flexitricity), Constantinos Peonides (Co-founder and CEO of Meggitt) and Markus Dirnbacher (Senior Operations Manager at Innova). The key message from this was the importance of high-quality data, which panellist Constantinos summed up succinctly: “garbage in, garbage out”. 

AI’s potential in optimising operations, from asset performance to energy trading, is clear – but many organisations in the energy industry still struggle with patchy or incomplete data. For AI to be truly effective, organisations must prioritise data quality and develop clear data and AI strategies that align with their business objectives, rather than rushing into AI adoption without a solid foundation.  

Steve Sinclair drove this message home by sharing a real-life example of a data success story, stressing the importance of bringing stakeholders with expert technical and industry knowledge along on the journey. Flexitricity partnered with Hypercube to scale its machine learning operations (MLOps) and significantly reduce the time it takes to productionise energy forecasting models, now achieving this within hours. This optimisation has allowed Flexitricity to increase its data science experiments to over 10,000 per year, enhancing its ability to innovate and support its behind-the-meter energy offerings. You can check out the full Flexitricity case study here. 

3. We urgently need to upgrade the grid 

A recurring theme throughout the conference, and a focal point of MP for West Dorset Edward Morello’s solar keynote, was the challenge of grid infrastructure and the risks posed by rapid market growth. Due to electrification, the entire UK grid needs upgrading, with some projects facing connection delays as far into the future as the 2030s. This is a significant roadblock to the wider adoption of solar and storage solutions.  

Edward also addressed the concerns that market growth could attract opportunistic players who might undermine quality and reliability in the sector. In response to this, Edward made the counterargument that protectionism in the UK around international trade in the energy sector puts as at the risk of driving up costs, delaying progress and ultimately jeopardising net-zero targets. 

4. BESS is the fastest growing battery demand market 

Pete Tillotson, Research Analyst at Rho Motion gave a particularly insightful overview of trends and challenges in the global BESS market. The BESS market is booming, with more than 75GWh of storage going live in the first half of 2024. China is leading the charge, making up 58% of global deployments so far this year and places well ahead of the US and UK. 

In the UK, recent developments like the National Grid ESO’s deployment of the Open Balancing Platform (OBP) which supports balancing mechanism units and the bulk dispatch of energy storage is driving significant growth. With grid connection reforms set to come into effect by 2025, the UK BESS market is going to experience further acceleration. 

Pete highlighted that competition in the BESS market is fierce, with the top three players controlling over 50% of market share. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are still the top choice thanks to their lower cost, while sodium-ion batteries are picking up more slowly due to lower energy density and a less developed supply chain. These trends will be key as the UK ramps up its energy storage efforts to support the energy transition and grid stability. 

5. Growing revenue opportunities in the BESS market require strategic adaptation 

Tying into Pete’s session, another key insight came from the revenue opportunities emerging within the BESS market. The UK battery storage landscape is expanding, with multiple revenue streams available, such as wholesale trading, balancing mechanisms and ancillary services that maintain grid stability.  

Head of Business Development at EDF, Fabrizio Fenu’s “Revenue and Market Deep Dive for the BESS UK Market” session highlighted the growing complexity in the battery storage space, with more market players and diversified, stacked revenue streams making trading strategies increasingly important.  

One of the key services where battery storage is proving particularly useful is in ancillary services, where maintaining grid frequency at 50Hz is essential. As more renewable energy sources saturate the market, EDF leverages battery technology to read and adapt to frequency changes, helping to maintain this critical balance. This not only stabilises the grid but also opens additional revenue streams for BESS owners through capacity markets, DSO flex markets and pathfinder projects. 

How can organisations keep up in the evolving energy industry?

Solar & Storage Live showcased the growing momentum behind the energy transition and the vital role solar and storage technologies play in achieving net-zero. From government commitment to industry innovation, it’s clear that investing in technology, data and new market strategies will be key to driving growth and optimising operations. As we continue to push towards a greener future, adoption of technologies like AI and machine learning are essential for energy organisations. Hypercube helps the energy sector unlock the power of cloud, data and AI – contact us today to learn how we can help your organisation accelerate the route to net-zero.