Bristol-headquartered law firm TLT has advised on a deal that will develop the first ‘energy barns’ in the UK.
The barns will use lithium-ion batteries to store energy that can be released at times of peak demand, helping to stabilise the electricity grid.
The first four, which are in the East Midlands and West Sussex, have a combined capacity of 40MW. They will be built over the coming months and then remain in operation for the next 25 years. 
TLT advised low carbon energy generation and storage company Green Hedge on the transaction. The London firm, which also has a base in Bath, recently joined forces with Reading-based energy efficiency specialist Anesco to develop the barns.
The projects were among the first energy storage schemes to be allocated 15-year contracts in the Capacity Market auction.
The TLT team included partner and head of energy & renewables Maria Connolly, pictured below, and corporate legal director Elizabeth Delaney.
Maria said: “Working with Green Hedge on this pioneering clean energy initiative was fantastic. In the last 12 months we have seen increased activity in energy storage as investors are starting to recognise its potential and we anticipate much the same this year.”
TLT’s energy & renewables team is one of only a handful of law firms that has real experience on advising on a range of energy storage projects both retro-fit and as part of more strategic grid-orientated projects, including the National Grid’s enhanced frequency response, firm frequency response and projects which utilise revenue ‘stacking’. 
Last year Bristol-based property consultancy Alder King launched a new energy initiative offering commercial landlords a 25-year income stream in return for housing banks of industrial-scale batteries in existing or purpose-built new industrial buildings.
It is now working with Green Hedge to secure sites of 0.25 acres or buildings of around 10,000 sq ft capable of housing battery storage facilities.
