Episode Details

Battery storage is booming — but how does it really work, and why does it matter? In this episode of the Fully Charged Show Podcast, Imogen sits down with Ed Porter from ⁨@modoenergy⁩ one of the UK's leading experts on battery energy storage systems (BESS), to demystify the critical role batteries are already playing in balancing the grid — and what's still to come. From frequency regulation and price arbitrage to blackouts and the path to clean power by 2030, we explore how grid-scale batteries are transforming our energy system faster than you think. Ed shares his insights on:

• Why batteries are replacing gas in grid services — and slashing costs.
• What dynamic frequency response actually means
• How the UK went from 0 to 5.3 GW of battery storage — and where we go from here
• Why the "1.5-hour" battery duration isn't a limitation, but a smart design choice
• How we plan to survive "Dunkelflaute" and keep the lights on in winter.

Enjoy! ⁨@fullychargedshow⁩ ⁨@EverythingElectricShow⁩ Find out more about the Modo Energy Terminal: https://modoenergy.com/ 00:00 Introduction 01:01 Ad Break 01:16 Modo Energy 04:09 Why do we need Grid Scale Batteries? 06:07 Batteries and frequency in the system 09:07 80% Cost reduction vs gas! 12:17 Are we deploying batteries fast enough? 16:09 1.5 hour battery duration?! 19:02 What about "Dunkelflaute"?! and a note on CCUS... 26:00 Decoupling the cost of electricity from gas?! 29:13 A whole new system? 37:15 Should energy be free?! 40:53 Negative pricing 43:26 What the UK can learn from Texas 46:00 Please like and subscribe! This episode is sponsored by Duracell Energy! Enter the Free Prize Draw to WIN your own Duracell Energy bunny here: https://www.duracellenergy.com/givaway/ Get a free quote for solar and battery from Duracell Energy here: https://bit.ly/4i9ERid Free Prize Draw Terms & Conditions can be found here: https://www.duracellenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Prize-Draw-2025-Puredrive-Energy-Ltd.pdf Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fullychargedshow Why are our episodes now sponsored? https://fullycharged.show/blog/dan-caesar-on-x-insta-youtube-and-why-we-made-a-contro[…]s-on-fully-charged-everything-electric-electric-vehicles-uk/ Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become a Fully Charged SHOW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: