STEPS - STorage of Energy & Power Systems in NWE

Project Summary

STEPS will strengthen the competitiveness of NWE innovative storage providers by using a user-centric, demand-driven approach to bring products closer to market. STEPS will drive down the time energy storage SMEs typically spend on technology demonstration before reaching market maturity from an average of 5 years to 1-2, while maintaining maximum commercial usability. 

Tailored energy
As the NWE is increasingly investing in distributed renewable energies (e.g. roof-mounted solar PV), the need for medium capacity energy storage solutions becomes apparent, with a market potential reaching €250bn by 2025.  Heavily subsidized batteries from the US and Asia outpace EU suppliers through price-competition, and currently supply 80% of the storage market in NWE. Many of these mass-produced solutions are not tailored to the needs of local market segments including, e.g. housing providers, energy cooperatives and business parks. These use cases could benefit from tailored storage technologies, new technologies or adapted business models (e.g.Storage-as-a-Service).

Innovative NWE storage products are currently stuck at TRL5/6 and face significant barriers, ranging from fragmented regulations & funding sources, limited testing abilities and unawareness of final consumers.

Expectations
More than 50 future end-user of storage will be trained on using a new tool to model their e-storage need with direct links to a portfolio of 250-300 solution providers from NWE. On the long-term, this will position NWE as a leading storage player, gaining up to the 30% of the market with more than 120 new e-storage solutions commercialised and leading to the generation of >1100 new jobs.

Take your e-storage solution from test stage to market ready

Apply to the programme today!

STEPS Business Support Programme
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A new Business Support Programme for energy storage companies within North-West Europe launched in January 2021. The STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) Business Support Programme will support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in bringing their energy storage solutions to the market.

As part of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme, the STEPS project aims to strengthen the collaboration and competitiveness of businesses in the region and lead NWE to the forefront of energy storage innovation. 

The call for application is currently closed, in case you are still interested in participating in STEPS but missed the deadline please contact one of our regional partners.

Are you an energy storage solution provider in North-West Europe (NWE) and do you want to bring your product to the market? STEPS can provide support from knowledge partners in NWE and connect you with end-users and demonstrate your technology at their testbed. For more information, please go here.
Timeline for the second call for applications

  • The second call has closed the 17th June 2021.

  • The Business Support Programme includes two successive vouchers.

  • The first voucher (€12.500 each) starts from August 2021 and can take up to five months. The second voucher (€50.000 each) can start as early as January 2022 and will last six months.

Take your e-storage solution from test stage to market ready

Apply to the programme today!

STEPS Business Support Programme

News

Exergy Storage gains valuable insights on their new battery technology

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Dutch energy start-up Exergy Storage is one of the 40 SMEs in the STEPS business support programme receiving support to bring their product to the market and increase their competitiveness. Exergy Storage is developing a new battery technology based on abundant, ultra-low-cost materials, such as rock salt, (recycled) aluminium and iron. The advantage of this technology compared to current battery technologies like lithium-ion is that it is based on abundant raw materials, is intrinsically safe and has a minimal impact on the environment, without compromising the energy density of the system. The technology is easily scalable, fully recyclable and can be applied to large-scale utility and residential storage systems. What makes the batteries even more special is that they can be used in a circular way, as they are refillable and reusable. Read More

Market Analysis shows the potential of the European Energy Storage market

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The market for energy storage and energy systems is growing rapidly. It is estimated that 245 GWh of batteries will be installed every year until 2030 and that by then, the total installed cost of Li-Ion batteries is less than half of what it is now, and the stationary battery storage market will reach 60 billion dollars. The growth in this market will lead to many opportunities, but also brings along challenges. STEPS has performed an analysis to gain insights on the trends, barriers, opportunities, and challenges in the developing energy storage market in Europe. Read More

The power of the STEPS Business Support Programme

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The Interreg project STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) is supporting many SMEs to get their innovative energy storage solution market ready. With the business support programme STEPS helps them to develope and optimize their solution and test their product at end-user testbeds. Examples of innovative SMEs in the STEPS programme are Zebra, that is receiving support from the University of Ghent, and AMPTE Power, Brill Power and Starke Energy, who are testing their combined solution at Harwell Campus. Read More

STEPS in figures: improving the e-storage market in NWE

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2021 has proved to be a fruitful year for STEPS. 40 vouchers from the first phase were awarded to SMEs, where the SME’s work together with knowledge partners from the consortium to enhance their product and optimize it for testing. According to Roman Alberti, one of the founders of the German startup Voltfang, the support has already led to valuable results: “The competent advice of the TU Darmstadt staff on the topics of safety concept, CE conformity, risk analysis, system limits, and the corresponding safety guidelines and standards provided us with the decisive input to achieve market readiness and certification of our product. In addition, the scientists of the University of Twente supported us when it came to the topic of electromagnetic compatibility.” Read More

UK Innovator Aceleron receives support from TU Darmstadt & UGhent to Enhance its Energy Storage Solutions

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In the framework of STEPS, Aceleron was supported by the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany as well as Ghent University in Belgium to enhance its energy storage solutions. The support focused on the quantification of the benefits arising from residential battery usage. Aspects like the reduction of the electricity network usage as well as the potential decrease of greenhouse gas emissions were covered. In this context, ways to graphically deliver energy related information to the endusers were analysed. Furthermore, opportunities to interconnect batterysystems exploiting internet of the things technologies were reviewed. Read More

Flemish minister of Innovation opens Smart Village Lab at Green Energy Park

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Green Energy Park has opened their first physical realization: an innovative living lab called The Smart Village Lab. It was the Flemish minister of Innovation Hilde Crevits who officially launched the innovative living lab with a touch of the virtual button. The lab is located on a research park close to Brussels and investigates how the future of living can be more smart, sustainable and energy efficient. Read More

Adaptive Balancing Power gets STEPS support

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The goal of the STEPS project is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the North-West Europe region (NWE) bring their energy storage products to the market and increase their competitiveness. STEPS is part of the Interreg NWE programme financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The programme consists of two phases, the first of which offers product enhancement support from universities across the NWE region to the top 40 applicants. 20 of these SMEs will be supported with a second phase aimed towards development and demonstrating their technology at suitable testbeds. One of the SMEs supported in the first round of the project is Adaptive Balancing Power. Read More

EU Interreg project STEPS supports aspiring SME Voltfang from Aachen, Germany

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The goal of the STEPS project (STorage of Energy and Power Systems) is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the North-West Europe region (NWE) bring their product to the market and increase their competitiveness. One of the SMEs selected in the first round of the project is Voltfang. The start-up company was founded in July 2020 in Aachen by Roman Alberti, Afshin Doostdar and David Oudsandji, recent graduates of RWTH Aachen in the fields of Energy and Industrial Engineering. Together with a team of 10 they develop stationary battery storage systems from re-used Lithium-Ion batteries of electric vehicles for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. We asked Roman Alberti from Voltfang about their company and what the STEPS programme means for their growth. Read More

State of the Art Report on Storage Technologies, Opportunities and Trends

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Are you a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) operating in the energy storage market? Get expert insights with the STEPS NWE State-of-the-Art Report. As part of the EU-funded STEPS project, renowned organisations investigated the current state of medium-capacity energy storage (e-storage) and the e-storage industries based in North-West Europe (NWE). The overview helps SMEs striving to establish their position in the competitive e-storage market by defining the landscape and highlighting its opportunities and trends. With this publication, SMEs can make informed decisions to seize their opportunities and boost their products. Read More

Successful support and European integration of Innovative energy storage SMEs

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The STEPS Business Support Programme successfully moves forward and shows first results. SMEs selected in March for the programme have received support from knowledge institutions and already progressed their TRL levels. Three SMEs are now ready to progress to the final stage and four further SMEs are already in the final stage to start testing under ‘real-life’-conditions, with partly cross-border testing involved. Meanwhile, 25 new innovative SMEs applied for the Business Support Programme and are now being assessed for enrollment. Read More

Events

14th Energy Storage World Forum

, Online

Why Download The Programme Now: Gain Insights From Over 10 Utilities Including Tennet, RWE, Engie, Enel And More! Thoroughly Researched Topics On Accurately Predicting Renewable Energy Generation, Business Models For Hybrid ESS, Concluding The Optimum Depth Of Discharge And More Learn From An International Lineup Featuring Speakers From 13 Different Countries Benefit From 22 In-Depth Topics & 13 End-User Speakers At A Very Affordable Price Of Just €280
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IRES: International Energy Storage Conference

, Online

Die dreitägige Online-Konferenz findet komplementär zur Energy Storage Europe 2021 statt. Der erste Veranstaltungstag am 16. März wird gemeinsam mit der Messe und dem BVES ausgerichtet. An den beiden folgenden IRES-Konferenztagen, am 17. und 18. März, finden in zwei beziehungsweise drei parallelen Konferenzsträngen Vorträge und Diskussionen mit hochkarätiger deutscher und internationaler Besetzung statt.
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STEPS DESIGN FOR SAFETY IN BATTERY SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM

, Online

Because of the vital role of the battery in energy storage applications, it is important to have a special attention to the battery pack which acts as a heart for the energy storage system. The University of Twente as a knowledge partner in STEPS project wants to organize a symposium that the purpose is to create awareness about safety considerations and provide useful design for safety information in battery systems as applicable to STEPS.
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Matchmaking across borders to increase future energy storage (e-storage) opportunities, that is the goal of the new STEPS interactive map. This E-storage Matchmap makes linking energy storage suppliers, end users, knowledge institutions and service providers far easier and more effective. History shows that connecting parties with the right expertise determines the degree of success of innovations, which is why the STEPS team has mapped out a resource to help e-storage entrepreneurs do just that. The database is considered an 'open register'. This means that new companies, service providers, testbed providers for energy storage solutions and knowledge institutions from the area can also be included in the platform.

The E-storage Matchmap is a digitally mapped representation of companies involved in energy and energy storage that are also interested in cross-border collaboration. Next to these companies, the platform lists various testbed providers, service providers and network organisations.

To facilitate navigation, users can filter the map by type of organisation, country, target market, position in value chain and main technology. By selecting one or more of these options, only the organisations that have been assigned the relevant specifications will be shown. The table then shows the name of the organisation, the main technology, the primary target market, the country, and a link to the website. It is also possible to use the search function to find a specific organisation.

 

Visit the E-Storage Matchmap here!

STEPS Matchmaking crossborder

Listing in the Matchmap

Are you an entrepreneur in the energy storage sector and interested in cross-border collaboration? Add your company to the E-storage Matchmap! To initiate the process, please send an e-mail to: susan.jansen@oostnl.nl.

In the map we have carefully linked companies to different key technologies. If you find any inaccuracies, please contact susan.jansen@oostnl.nl.

STEPS

In STEPS, business support and knowledge partners from the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom have joined forces to strengthen the competitiveness of innovative energy storage (e-storage) providers in North-West Europe (NWE). STEPS is a project within the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme. Interreg NWE falls under the European Cohesion Policy and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The market for energy storage and systems is growing rapidly. Besides many trends and opportunities it also brings challenges. In order to better understand the present status and future of energy storage in Europe, a market analysis has been carried out in the framework of STEPS. The market analysis covers the general state of the energy storage sector, but particular attention is paid to three specific themes that have been examined in detail and discussed by leading experts in roundtables. These themes are: ‘Market Readiness’, ‘Enhancing Circularity of Battery Energy Storage’ and ‘Medium Scale Front of the Meter Storage’. 

The purpose of the market analysis is to bring together knowledge from different countries, to learn from each other, to find out how we can jointly overcome barriers and, most importantly, how we can improve the energy storage sector in (North-West) Europe.

Interactive Market analysis report

Trends and challenges in a rocketing market

The full report of the Market Analysis

Full report Market Analysis

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