Renewable integration ancillary services — Grid services tailored to handle the variability and inertia changes from high renewables penetration.

The market for renewable integration ancillary services is a direct result of Europe's push for a clean energy future. The inherent variability of solar and wind power means the grid needs more flexibility than ever before. Ancillary services are the tools that provide this flexibility, enabling a high penetration of renewables without sacrificing reliability.

Energy storage for ancillary services is a major part of this evolution. Technologies like BESS and pumped hydro storage can absorb excess power when wind and solar generation is high and release it when generation drops. This makes renewables "dispatchable" and greatly enhances the grid's stability. In fact, many of the revenues for large-scale battery projects come from providing these ancillary services to the grid.

As more distributed renewable energy sources, like solar farms and wind turbines, connect to the grid, managing voltage becomes more complex. These sources can be located in rural areas far from major transmission lines. This can lead to voltage fluctuations that need to be actively managed. Both conventional generators and newer technologies, such as BESS and specialized power electronics, provide these services, ensuring the grid remains robust across its entire network.