Energy Storage Systems: How Businesses Can Store, Manage and Monetise Energy

Energy costs, sustainability targets, and the growing need for greater energy resilience are changing the way businesses think about electricity. Instead of relying solely on the grid, many organisations are now looking at ways to generate, store, and manage their energy more effectively.

Energy storage systems are becoming a key part of that conversation. They are often associated with commercial solar panels, but their role actually extends much further. Businesses are using energy storage to reduce reliance on the grid, improve operational resilience, make better use of renewable energy, and create new opportunities to manage energy more strategically.

Key Takeaways:

• Energy storage systems help businesses store and use energy more strategically, improving flexibility, resilience, and long-term control over energy costs.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are the most widely adopted commercial solution for storing electricity and can be installed with commercial solar or as a standalone system.
• Energy storage can support a range of business objectives, including reducing reliance on the grid, managing peak electricity demand, and making better use of renewable energy.
• Some businesses are using battery storage to participate in flexibility services and demand response programmes, creating additional revenue opportunities alongside energy savings.
• The greatest long-term value comes when energy storage is considered as part of a wider energy strategy that includes commercial solar, procurement, and ongoing energy management.

What Is an Energy Storage System?

An energy storage system captures energy when it’s available and stores it so it can be used later when it’s needed most. Rather than using electricity as soon as it’s generated or imported from the grid, businesses can store it and use it at a time that better suits their operations.

It’s a common misconception that energy storage only works alongside solar panels. While commercial solar is one of the most common applications, businesses can also charge energy storage systems using electricity imported from the grid, taking advantage of lower-cost periods or supporting wider energy management strategies.

There are several different types of energy storage systems available, each designed for different applications. Some are used to store electricity, while others store heat, cooling, or other forms of energy. The right solution depends on the needs of the organisation, how it uses energy, and what it’s trying to achieve.

How does energy storage work?

Although the technology varies, the principle is the same. Energy is captured when it’s available, stored until it’s needed, and then released when demand increases or conditions become more favourable.

For example, a business with commercial solar panels might generate more electricity than it needs during the middle of the day. Instead of exporting that excess energy straight back to the grid, it can be stored and used later when solar generation falls or demand increases.

Similarly, a business without solar panels may charge a battery during periods when electricity prices are lower and then use that stored energy during more expensive periods, helping to reduce reliance on the grid.

Types of Energy Storage Systems Used by Businesses

There are several ways businesses can store energy, and each technology is designed for a different purpose. Some store electricity, while others store heating or cooling for later use. The right option depends on how your business uses energy and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

Battery Energy Storage Systems, often called BESS, are the type of energy storage most businesses will come across.

They store electricity so it can be used later, either from commercial solar panels or electricity imported from the grid. This gives businesses more control over when they use energy, helping them reduce reliance on the grid and make better use of cheaper or self-generated electricity.

For many organisations, battery storage has become one of the most practical ways to improve energy resilience and manage rising energy costs.

Thermal Energy Storage

Not every business needs to store electricity. In some industries, it’s more useful to store heating or cooling instead.

Thermal energy storage is commonly used in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, food production, and large commercial buildings, where heating, cooling, or refrigeration account for a large share of energy use.

Rather than storing electricity, these systems store heat or chilled water so it can be used later when it’s needed.

Mechanical Energy Storage

Mechanical energy storage uses movement to store energy.

Examples include technologies like flywheels and pumped hydro storage. While these systems play an important role in supporting the electricity grid, they’re typically used at utility scale or in specialist industrial settings rather than by individual businesses.

Hydrogen Energy Storage

Hydrogen is another technology that’s attracting a lot of attention.

Electricity can be used to produce hydrogen, which can then be stored and converted back into energy when needed. While it has exciting long-term potential, particularly for energy-intensive industries, it’s still an emerging technology and isn’t yet as widely adopted as battery storage.

For most businesses, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are the technology they’ll be looking at. They’re proven, commercially available, and can be integrated with commercial solar or installed as a standalone solution, depending on the organisation’s energy strategy.

How Businesses Use Energy Storage Systems

Energy storage can support businesses in a number of different ways. The right application depends on how your organisation uses energy, when demand is highest, and what you’re looking to achieve. For many businesses, it’s about gaining more control over energy costs while making better use of the electricity they generate or buy.

Supporting commercial solar

One of the most common uses for battery storage is alongside commercial solar panels.

Without a battery, any electricity your business doesn’t use straight away is usually exported back to the grid. With battery storage, that excess energy can be stored and used later when demand is higher or solar generation has reduced.

This helps businesses use more of the electricity they generate themselves and get greater value from their solar investment.

Reducing reliance on the grid

Battery storage doesn’t only work with solar. Businesses can also charge batteries using electricity imported from the grid, often when prices are lower, and use that stored energy later when electricity is more expensive.

This gives organisations more flexibility over when they buy and use electricity, helping to reduce reliance on the grid during peak periods.

Managing peak electricity demand

Many businesses don’t use electricity evenly throughout the day. There are often periods when demand increases sharply, whether that’s machinery starting up, production lines operating at full capacity, or buildings reaching their busiest times.

Battery storage can help smooth out these peaks by supplying stored electricity when demand is highest. Depending on the organisation’s energy tariff, this can help reduce overall electricity costs while easing pressure on the grid.

Improving operational resilience

Energy storage also gives businesses more flexibility in how they manage energy day to day.

Combined with commercial solar, energy monitoring, and a well-planned procurement strategy, it allows organisations to take a more proactive approach to energy management rather than simply reacting to changing electricity prices.

Why is Battery Energy Storage Increasingly Popular?

While there are several ways to store energy, battery storage has quickly become the technology most businesses are choosing. It’s commercially proven, works across a wide range of sectors, and can be adapted to suit different energy requirements.

As energy costs have become more unpredictable, businesses are also looking for solutions that give them greater control over how and when they use electricity. Battery storage helps make that possible.

It works with existing energy infrastructure

Battery storage can be installed alongside a new or existing commercial solar system, but it doesn’t have to be.

Many businesses use batteries with solar to store excess generation, while others install them as a standalone solution to better manage electricity purchased from the grid. This flexibility means organisations can introduce battery storage in a way that suits their current energy strategy, rather than completely changing how they operate.

It’s easier to integrate than many businesses realise

Modern battery systems can be integrated with existing electrical infrastructure and energy management systems, making them much more straightforward to implement than many organisations expect.

As businesses invest in technologies like commercial solar, EV charging, or smarter building controls, battery storage can become another part of a connected energy system rather than a standalone asset.

It supports long-term energy planning

Battery storage isn’t just about solving today’s energy challenges. It can also help businesses prepare for the future.

Whether an organisation is planning to expand, electrify parts of its operations, or reduce its carbon footprint, battery storage provides greater flexibility to adapt as energy needs change over time.

For many businesses, that’s why battery storage is becoming more than just another piece of equipment. It’s becoming an important part of a longer-term energy strategy.

How BESS Enables Businesses to Store, Save and Monetise Their Energy

For many businesses, the biggest misconception about battery storage is that it’s simply somewhere to keep spare electricity.

In reality, modern battery systems can do much more. They don’t just help businesses store energy. They can reduce operating costs, improve how energy is managed, and in some cases even create new revenue opportunities.

Store energy

Battery storage allows businesses to capture electricity when it’s available and use it later when it’s needed.

That energy might come from commercial solar panels during the middle of the day, or it could be imported from the grid during lower-cost periods. Instead of using electricity immediately or exporting it straight back to the grid, businesses have the option to store it and decide when it delivers the greatest value.

Save on energy costs

Using stored energy at the right time can help businesses reduce reliance on the grid during periods of higher demand or higher electricity prices.

For organisations with commercial solar, battery storage also means more of the electricity they generate can be used on-site rather than exported. This improves self-consumption and can increase the overall value of a solar installation.

Create new revenue opportunities

One of the biggest developments in commercial battery storage is that some businesses are now using their battery systems to generate additional income.

By participating in flexibility services or demand response programmes, eligible organisations may be able to support the electricity grid during periods of high demand or grid constraints. In return, they can receive payments for making their battery capacity available.

This isn’t the right fit for every business, and the opportunities available depend on factors such as the battery system, energy usage, and market conditions. However, it’s changing the way many organisations think about battery storage.

Energy Storage Works Best as Part of a Wider Energy Strategy

Energy storage can deliver significant benefits on its own, but the greatest long-term value usually comes when it’s considered as part of a wider energy strategy rather than a standalone investment.

For example, a business might combine battery storage with commercial solar to make better use of the electricity it generates on-site. At the same time, it could review its energy procurement strategy, monitor consumption more closely, or identify opportunities to improve efficiency across its operations. Looking at the bigger picture helps businesses understand how these different elements work together to reduce costs, improve resilience, and support long-term growth.

This way of thinking is becoming increasingly important as energy markets continue to evolve. Rather than simply buying electricity from the grid, businesses are taking a more strategic approach to how energy is generated, stored, purchased, and used.

Take a More Strategic Approach to Energy Storage

Energy storage is about much more than storing electricity. The right solution can help your business reduce energy costs, improve resilience, make better use of renewable energy, and even unlock new revenue opportunities through flexibility markets where appropriate. The key is understanding how energy storage fits into your wider business objectives, rather than viewing it as a standalone technology.

At The National Energy Hub, we help businesses take that wider view. Whether you’re exploring battery storage, commercial solar, energy procurement, or long-term energy planning, our specialists can help you understand your options and build an energy strategy that’s designed around your organisation. Get in touch to discuss your energy goals and discover how the right approach to energy storage could support your business.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Storage Systems

Does every business need battery storage?

Not necessarily. Battery storage can deliver significant value for many organisations, but it’s not the right solution for every business. Factors such as energy usage, operating hours, existing infrastructure, and long-term objectives all influence whether battery storage is likely to provide a strong return on investment.

Can energy storage help protect businesses from volatile energy prices?

Energy storage doesn’t stop energy prices from changing, but it can give businesses more control over when they buy and use electricity. Combined with the right procurement strategy, this can reduce exposure to periods of higher energy prices and improve long-term cost predictability.

Can I add battery storage to an existing commercial solar system?

In many cases, yes. Battery storage can often be integrated with an existing commercial solar installation, allowing businesses to store more of the electricity they generate instead of exporting it to the grid. The suitability of a retrofit depends on the existing system and site infrastructure.

Can battery storage support EV charging?

Yes. As more businesses introduce electric vehicle charging, battery storage can help manage the additional electricity demand by supplying stored energy during periods of high usage. This can reduce pressure on the grid connection and improve overall energy management.

Can energy storage support sustainability goals?

Yes. Energy storage can help businesses make better use of renewable electricity, reduce reliance on fossil fuel-generated grid power, and support wider decarbonisation strategies. While it’s not a replacement for improving energy efficiency, it can play an important role in reducing an organisation’s environmental impact.

How long do commercial energy storage systems last?

The lifespan of an energy storage system depends on the technology being used. Modern Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are designed to operate for many years, although factors such as usage patterns, charging cycles, and maintenance can all affect long-term performance. Manufacturers typically provide warranties based on either time or the number of charging cycles.

Can energy storage improve business resilience during power outages?

Some energy storage systems can support business resilience during power interruptions, but this depends on how the system has been designed and whether appropriate backup capabilities have been included. Businesses with resilience requirements should discuss these objectives during the planning stage to ensure the system is configured accordingly.