Transmission

By Ed Porter, Modo EnergyBusiness Science Investing Physics

Transmission episodes

August 30, 2023The role of the Optimiser in GB with Chris McLeod (Head of trading @ Habitat Energy)
After building an asset and connecting it to the grid - the next step is to enter the markets in order to earn revenue. Optimising the actions of a battery asset is vital in order to make an asset profitable. An pptimiser is there to get the most out of a battery. In today's episode, guest host Robyn Lucas is in the studio with Chris McLeod - Head of Trading at Habitat Energy. Over the course of the conversation they discuss:
An overview of the main markets in which batteries commonly participate in.
How to decide what markets to enter an asset in when?
The rationale for choosing between whether to enter into the Balancing Mechanism or not.
How the markets have changed over the last 10 years.
What success might look like in the future for batteries.
About our guest
Operating across UK, USA and Australia, Habitat Energy’s mission is to get the best possible return on your investment, whether that’s a single battery, co-located renewable generation or a whole portfolio of assets across multiple locations.
To find out more about what they do - head to their site.
About Modo
Modo Energy is the all-in-one platform for battery energy storage analysts.Through an integrated mix of price forecasts, revenue benchmarking, in-depth research, real-time market screens, and downloadable data - you can finance, build, and operate the energy system of the future. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
50 min
August 23, 2023Low carbon heating with Johan du Plessis (Founder & CEO @ Tepeo)
With the vast proportion of UK homes still relying on gas to heat homes - the need for lower carbon options is a top priority in order to reach net zero targets. Tepeo - manufacturers of the ZEB (Zero Emission Boiler) are on a mission to provide consumers with a greener solution.
In this episode, Quentin is joined by Johan du Plessis - Founder & CEO at Tepeo. Over the course of the conversation they discuss:
The electrification of heating and how technologies like Tepeo’s are helping to steer the heating sector away from fossil fuels.
A look at the differences between heating in the UK compared to the rest of the world.
The technology behind Tepeo and the differences in use case compared to heat pumps.
Johan's thoughts on the hydrogen use case for domestic heating.
Why heat storage is potentially more viable than lithium when it comes to domestic heating.
About our guest
Tepeo aim to give customers a low cost, low carbon, smart and yet simple route off of fossil fuel heating. Tepeo’s goal is to help millions of homeowners heat their homes, not the planet with their Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB). For more information on what they do, head over to their site.
About Modo
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
42 min
August 16, 2023High-Density Hydro with Lizzi Gold (Business Development Manager @ RheEnergise)
Pumped hydro forms the largest percentage of energy storage in the world. Traditionally needing large elevations and huge reservoirs - finding locations suitable for pumped hydro projects is often limited. High-Density Hydro is taking the premise of pumped hydro, removing those barriers and doubling the output. In todays episode, Quentin sits down with Lizzi Gold - Business Development Manager at RheEnergise, over the course of the conversation they discuss:
RheEnergise’s mission and what sets them apart from traditional pumped hydro?
The science behind high-density fluid and how that effects efficiency and output.
The obstacles faced when working with a fluid that is 2.5 x denser than water.
Where high-density hydro projects are applicable and the duration they can provide.
Mentioned in the episode
RheEnergise to build first demonstrator in Devon.
Mentioned in the episode
RheEnergise to build first demonstrator in Devon.
Press Release announcing MOU with Mercia Power Response
https://www.renews.biz/87558/
About our guest
RheEnergise is bringing innovation to pumped energy storage, with a solution called High-Density Hydro, their projects use a fluid with 2.5x the density of water, meaning that they can be installed on small hills instead of mountains. For more information on what they do, head to their site.
About Modo
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
27 min
August 09, 2023Modo Selects - Financing, building, and operating batteries with Amit Gudka (Founder @ Field)
You may have seen the news of Field’s recent £200 million fundraise, in order to help them expand their ambitious plans to become full life-cycle battery energy storage developer, owner, and operator. We spoke to Amit back in March 2022 - when Field and Amit were at a much earlier stage of that journey. So, today we’re revisiting that episode - where Amit outlines his overarching mission, and how he thought, at the time, that Field would go about achieving it. Over the course of the conversation they discuss.
The growing need for newbuild renewable infrastructure.
Investor appetite in a rapidly expanding market.
Learnings from actually building battery energy storage systems.
The increasing demand for lithium, and potential supply chain issues.
And, of course, where Field fits into all of this.
About our guest
Field’s aim is to finance, build, operate and monetise the renewable infrastructure needed to reach net-zero. To find out more about what they do, head along to their site
About Modo
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
39 min
August 02, 2023BESS in GB - Getting to 3 gigawatts with Wendel Hortop (Markets Lead @ Modo Energy)
Great Britain recently reached 3 gigawatts of installed battery storage - a milestone in the buildout pipeline, but how has GB got to this point? What has the road looked like in getting to this point, and with still a long way to go - what might the future look like for batteries in an increasingly saturated market?
Today’s episode is a little different - Neil and Wendel take a look at the state of battery buildout and what is going on in energy markets in Great Britain.
Over the course of the conversation they discuss:
What does the size of the GB fleet look like currently, and who has played a role in getting it to this stage.
How is the UK different from other markets around the globe?
A look at how batteries have typically been making revenue so far.
How is the way batteries operate within markets going to change as more capacity comes on line?
About Modo
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
20 min
July 26, 2023Modo Selects - How to develop a storage project with Andy Willis (Founder & CEO @ Kona Energy)
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of developing a battery energy storage project looks like? From securing a grid connection to acquiring land - there’s a whole lot that goes on before a battery storage system can get up and running.
For this instalment of our Modo Selects series, Quentin is joined by Andy Willis - Founder and CEO at Kona Energy, to talk through the ins and outs of developing a storage site. Over the course of the conversation, they discuss:
What developers are responsible for in the process of building a storage asset.
Procuring land, taking into account both landowners and prospective asset owners.
Applying for planning permissions and the obstacles faced in this process.
The challenges of the current approval system for grid connections.
And of course, how Kona Energy fits into all of this!
About our guest
Kona Energy is one of the UK’s leading clean energy development companies, focused on developing grid-scale battery energy storage projects. Kona Energy are developing a 1000MW portfolio of large-scale energy storage projects across the UK. For more information on what they do - visit their site here.
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn.
About Modo
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualization, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
55 min
July 19, 2023Digging Deeper with Data with KP Kairies (CEO @ Accure)
In our increasingly electrified world, we’ll rely on batteries more than ever - and to ensure they perform as well as possible and run safely - knowing as much as possible is integral. Accure are providing their customers with the data needed to make the most out of their battery assets.
In today’s episode, Quentin chats to Dr. KP Kairies, CEO at Accure Battery Intelegence. Over the course of the conversation they discuss:
A crash course on different cell chemistries, and the buying habits around them.
A look at what's happening in raw material supply chains.
KP’s views on what the future of cell chemistry might look like - in particular sodium ion.
Why data is so valuable when it comes to battery performance and safety.
And of course where Accure fits in to all of this.
About our guest
Accure provides data analytics solutions for safety, lifetime and performance management to support asset managers, battery operators, and innovation engineers. Managing millions of batteries around the world, spanning all relevant cell chemistries, form factors and use cases—from sports cars to stationary storage.For more information on what they do head to their website.
About Modo Energy
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualisation, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
57 min
July 13, 2023Scaling end-to-end with Andrew Waranch and Nick Dazzo
Battery buildout in the USA is moving fast - but still has a long way to go and bridging the gap between existing projects and required volume is going to take time. Keeping the momentum going (and capital flowing!) in order to reach some huge targets is a huge undertaking.
In today’s episode, Quentin talks to Andrew Waranch (founder & CEO) and Nick Dazzo (Managing Director of Trading) from Spearmint Energy. Over the course of the conversation they discuss:
Building the business - playing the long game whilst bridging the gaps in the meantime.
Integrating a trading desk within an optimisation team and touching upon how the world of batteries & renewables is different compared to traditional generation.
How is Spearmint’s business case unique as an end-to-end solution?
The ways in which the Inflation Reduction Act has impacted the rate of growth within the renewables sector.
A look at Spearmint’s geographical diversification across US markets.
About our guest
Spearmint aims to be the preeminent green merchant trading company developing, owning, operating, and trading around Battery Energy Storage, Solar, and Wind to reduce grid volatility, increase system resiliency, and help to reduce Carbon emissions in a responsible and efficient way. for more information on what they do, head to their website.
About Modo Energy
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualisation, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
47 min
July 05, 2023Diving deep into decarbonization with Nathaniel Bullard
The road to decarbonization is multifaceted and deeply complex. Tackling one part of it opens up the floor to more questions new problems to solve. What is the current state of climate and where are we in the decarbonization pipeline?
In today’s episode - Quentin speaks with Nathaniel Bullard - independant keynote speaker, board-level strategy facilitator, and climate-focused advisorOver the course of the conversation they discuss:
Nat’s background and career - including giving away a 140 slide deck for free.
Growth without emissions - can we lower primary energy usage while still maintaining growth?
What does the state of renewables look like and a look at the levelized cost of different technologies.
An overview of the framework for Nat’s ‘Three Ages of Decarbonisation’.
Nat’s view on how we get to net-zero from here.
Mentioned in the episode
Decarbonization: The long view, trends and transience, net zero
Big Oil’s Pullback From Clean Energy Matters Less Than You Might Think
About our guest
Nat works independently as a keynote speaker, board-level strategy facilitator, and climate-focused advisor. He is a senior contributor to BloombergNEF and writes the Sparklines column for Bloomberg Green. To find out more about Nat - visit his website.
About Modo Energy
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualisation, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
59 min
June 21, 2023Modo Selects - Measuring inertia with Chris Kimmett (COO @ Reactive Technologies)
By smoothing over unstable voltage waveforms - inertia is a fascinating and important part of the system. Being able to accurately measure inertia is becoming more and more important as we transition to renewable generation, which is changing the weight of inertia on the grid.
For this instalment in our Modo Selects series we are revisiting this episode with Chris Kimmett - Chief Operations Officer at Reactive Technologies. He and Quentin talk about how utilising inertia is imperative to balance the system. During the course of the conversation, Chris and Quentin discuss:
The definition of inertia and what processes are implemented to measure it.
How the transition to greener energy production is impacting the amount of inertia on the grid and why measuring this is important.
Other countries' grid design and an insight as to why they developed in that way.
How being able to accurately measure inertia is important and what type of businesses benefit from being able to do so?
The vision for Reactive Technologies and their role in all of this.
About our Guest
Reactive Technologies are an innovative energy tech company, providing grid operators and renewable asset owners with market-leading and mission-critical technology solutions to accelerate the clean energy transition. To find out more about what they do head to their website here.
About Modo Energy
Modo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo’s paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.
To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualisation, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn.
If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.
41 min

About Transmission

From the publisher's feed

Transmission is the podcast for energy professionals navigating the global shift to a low-carbon power system. Hosted by Ed Porter, Transmission goes deep on battery storage markets, power market dynamics, and the commercial forces shaping the energy transition - with the people at the centre of it.

Every week, we sit down with the CEOs, heads of trading desks, government advisors, policy architects, and leading practitioners driving change across the industry.

These are practitioner conversations - focused on how markets actually work, where the real opportunities and risks lie, and what the data is telling us.

We cover clean energy investing, capacity markets, balancing mechanism participation, and the evolving regulatory environment that shapes returns across geographies. Our coverage spans Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and the broader European energy transition, with regular episodes dedicated to the specific dynamics of each market.

Transmission tracks the inflection points that matter: when markets shift, where capital is flowing, and what experienced operators are doing next.

We also cover power markets more broadly - interconnectors, flexibility markets, grid infrastructure, and the trading strategies that sophisticated players use to extract value in increasingly complex systems.

Who listens: Transmission is built for people who work in energy - analysts, investors, developers, traders, asset managers, and policy professionals at every stage of their careers.

If you're entering the industry or building your understanding of how battery storage and power markets actually work, Transmission is one of the fastest ways to get up to speed - directly from the people shaping them.

About Modo Energy: Transmission is produced by Modo Energy, a B2B SaaS platform that helps renewable energy companies, funds, utilities, and banks manage and value their energy assets. Specializing in batteries and provides data, analytics, and forecasting to help customers understand the financial performance of their energy assets.

The Modo Energy Terminal is the one-stop shop for teams trying to understand the commercial case for grid-scale battery energy storage - bringing together trusted indices, customizable benchmarks, independent revenue forecasts, in-depth written analysis, and much more.

Guided by the principles of transparency and usability, Modo Energy’s Terminal provides owners, operators, developers and financiers with a complete view of the landscape for storage - past, present, and future - so that users can make informed, bankable decisions about their assets.

Hundreds of organizations rely on Modo’s tools and insights to navigate market trends, optimize investment strategies, and stay ahead of industry shifts. As the storage space continues to evolve, Modo is leading the way - helping businesses unlock the full value of their assets and make smarter decisions in a net-zero future.

Follow Transmission to get new episodes every Tuesday.

If you find the show valuable, leaving a rating takes 30 seconds and makes a real difference in helping other energy professionals find us.