On May 1st 2013 Germany will grant access to one of its investment incentive programmes, but only to someone who can solve the problem of storage capacity the balancing of decentralized power generation. The issue will be a key topic at the Batteries Japan 2013 convention as well as the Fuel Cell Expo which are both due to take place from February 27th in Tokyo. Germany Trade & Invest will be there to explain why the German Ministry of Environment urgently requires further progress on energy storage research.
Through the adoption of renewable energy technologies Germany is currently pursuing and energy transition policy which is aimed at eliminating nuclear from the power grid while also reducing damaging gas emissions.
“The policy has progressed well, and the increase of fluctuating renewable capacities is now causing the need for storage and smart grid expansion” said Tobias Rothacher, Senior Manager Renewable Energies at Germany Trade and Invest.
The programme is aiming to develop solar power batteries which can be installed and connected in houses alongside solar panels. This, if successful, could save a detached house up to 60% of their electricity bill according to the Fraunhofer Institute. Stored power can also be used later or offloaded into the national energy grid.
“Such batteries not only make customers more independent from the energy price fluctuations, but the technological advances bring Germany closer to immunity from the energy and fuel merry-go-round” Rothacher added. “There's also the benefit of produced power being stored rather than being jettisoned expensively -offering further savings to plant operators.”
Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It advises foreign companies seeking to expand their business activities in the German market and provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.
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