Today, energy storage is often described as new, emerging or risky. But tomorrow, one word will suffice: mainstream.

In California, we have a near perfect storm of market signals moving the entire energy storage industry forward. On the hardware side, OEMs (battery and inverter manufacturers) have significantly reduced costs, while forward-thinking policymakers and financiers are creating favorable regulatory and market conditions.

To date, the industry has focused a lot of attention on grid-scale storage, but it is the massive opportunity behind the meter that will truly move the industry from fledgling to mainstream.

Utilities aren’t the only game in town

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) made history last month when it passed the nation’s first energy storage mandate, directing investor-owned utilities in California to acquire 1,325 megawatts of energy storage by 2020. The impact on the energy storage market will be nearly instantaneous since contracts will need to be approved in the next few years in order to meet the CPUC’s requirements.

via The Future of Energy Storage Is Behind the Meter : Greentech Media.