Middle Eastern countries are keen to move fast along a sustainable energy path, in particular using solar energy. Saudi Arabia has ambitious targets for renewable energy generation, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are also following a strategy of increasing renewable energy in the energy mix.

A white paper by the newly established DNV GL Energy unit highlights the need to include distributed energy storage in order to secure a fast, smooth transition to renewable energy sources. The white paper has just been unveiled at the World Future Energy Summit 2014, taking place this week in Abu Dhabi.

The white paper tackles issues such as the Middle East grids and operation systems' ability to absorb large amounts of distributed generation, and considers network security supply issues. It also looks at how California and Germany have been adopting a legislative approach to encourage the faster, broader uptake of energy storage.