Energy storage system policies: Way forward and opportunities for emerging economies

The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has catalysed the rapid growth of renewable energy worldwide. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy requires the support of energy storage systems (ESS) to provide ancillary services and save excess energy for use at a later time. ESS policies have been proposed in some countries to support the renewable energy integration and grid stability. These policies are mostly concentrated around battery storage system, which is considered to be the fastest growing energy storage technology due to its efficiency, flexibility and rapidly decreasing cost. ESS policies are primarily found in regions with highly developed economies, that have advanced knowledge and expertise in the sector. This paper provides a comprehensive review of ESS policies worldwide, identifying the different goals, objectives and the expected outcomes. It discusses the benefits of having such policies, the impact they have and opportunities they have created in the energy sector. Some of the countries that have been identified to have mature ESS policies are United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Japan, China and Australia. These countries have the most advanced storage technologies and are constantly undertaking research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects sponsored by the industry and government. ESS policies mostly promote energy storage by providing incentives, soft loans, targets and a level playing field. Nevertheless, a relatively small number of countries around the world have implemented the ESS policies. It is hoped that other countries especially in the emerging economies will learn from their experiences and adopt the policies to assist local entities that want to drive change in their community.