Supporting the development of EU-based innovative storage solutions

STEPS (STorage of Energy & Power Systems) is an EU-funded project that aims to support Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) offering energy storage solutions in North-West Europe. As Europe moves towards a decentralized energy system, investments in distributed renewable energies will increase substantially (e.g., rooftop solar PV).

Therefore, the need for medium capacity energy storage solutions becomes apparent, with a market potential of €250 billion by 2025. Many of the existing solutions are not tailored to the needs of local market segments including, for example housing providers, energy cooperatives and business parks.

These use cases could benefit from tailored storage technologies, new technologies or adapted business models. Currently, innovative storage products from North-West Europe are not yet “technology ready” due to significant barriers, ranging from fragmented regulation and funding sources, limited testing capabilities and end-user unawareness.

In STEPS, business support and knowledge partners from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and the UK will strengthen the competitiveness of innovative storage providers by advancing a user-centric, demand-driven approach to bring products closer to market through custom testing.

REScoop.eu participates in STEPS and promotes the dissemination of the project’s results, supporting the development of EU-based innovative storage solutions. Energy storage can supply more flexibility and balancing to the grid, therefore being a key element in a decentralized energy system with citizens at the core.

The work of the project starts with the STEPS Business Support Programme. In this program 2 consecutive Vouchers are offered to SMEs, where on the one hand they receive support from universities and, on the other hand receive support in demonstrating their technology to actual end-users.

Are you an energy storage provider from North-West Europe who wants to bring your product closer to market? Then the STEPS Business Support programme is right for you! The call for applications opens on 11 January 2021.

Pre-registering to the programme is already possible: www.stepsnwe-application.com.