The rapid growth in the energy storage market is similarly driving demand for project financing. The general principles of project finance that apply to the financing of solar and wind projects also apply to energy storage projects.
Since the majority of solar projects currently under construction include a storage system, lenders in the project finance markets are willing to finance the construction and cashflows of an energy storage project. However, there are certain additional considerations in structuring a project finance transaction for an energy storage project.
In many ways, energy storage projects are no different than a typical project finance transaction. Project finance is an exercise in risk allocation. Financings will not close until all risks have been catalogued and covered. However, there are some unique features to energy storage with which investors and lenders will have to become familiar.
Investors and lenders are eager to enter into the energy storage market. In many ways, energy storage projects are no different than a typical project finance transaction. Project finance is an exercise in risk allocation. Financings will not close until all risks have been catalogued and covered.
Energy storage projects provide a number of services and, for each service, receive a different revenue stream. Distributed energy storage projects offer two main sources of revenue. Capacity payments from the local utility are one.
However, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, tax credits are now available for standalone energy storage systems, and thus lenders may be willing to provide bridge capital that is underwritten based on the receipt of proceeds from an anticipated tax equity investment, similar to renewable energy projects.