Winter 2023

SOLAR PV BATTERY STORAGE
WHY BATTERY AFFORDABILITY IS
TRANSFORMING SOLAR POPULARITY
Commercial organisations have been slower to adopt battery storage than the domestic solar
market, primarily due to storage capabilities and affordability. Yet that’s now changing. The
challenges organisations once faced are easily remedied, according to Richard Williams –
foremost an engineer - as well as founder and Managing Director of Aztec Solar Energy Ltd,
the nationwide engineering-led consultancy and installer of bespoke solar photovoltaic (PV)
and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Based at the University of Warwick, Richard has
over 30 years in the energy services sector, and below shares his views on how battery storage
is transforming a sector’s ability to turn to greener energy solutions.
The economic attractiveness of
solar energy has accelerated
over the last five years,
with more businesses adopting
it to combat rising energy costs
and deliver long-term energy
security. Until now, the expense of
installations, the difficulties of a
retrofit, and lack of energy storage
has been a barrier, but that’s now no
longer the case.
Installing rooftop solar power is one
of the best investment opportunities
available.
Batteries have become much more
competitively priced and rather than
return the energy harvested
to the grid – where you
don’t always get the
best price – they allow
you to store that power
and draw on it as needed
and accommodate peaks in
demand. Batteries can be force
charged overnight at lower electricity
rates, and the energy used in the day
when electricity rates are higher.
Even if you already have PV panels,
battery storage can be added
afterwards. Many are taking this
option as the economy of scale with
battery production is bringing the
prices down and making them a cost-
Left: Richard Williams is an
engineer, as well as founder and
Managing Director of Aztec
Solar Energy.
effective solution.
Batteries have reduced both
in cost and in size by at least 40%
over the last 5 years.
With battery installs growing,
whether considering adding battery
capacity to an existing PV system or
planning a whole new PV and BESS,
here are my 7 top tips and key points
to help...
Continued on page 30 >>>
28 GREENSCAPE WINTER 2023 • www.greenscapemag.co.uk