Kent has the highest planned growth in battery capacity in the UK as energy entrepreneurs move away from wind and solar generation and focus on storing electricity.

The county has 124 independent renewable projects with a capacity of 401.6MW – capable of powering more than 217,000 homes and saving more than 330,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

However, there has been a flatlining in the number of new schemes involving power like solar and wind after sudden subsidy cuts, according to the fifth annual Energy Entrepreneurs Report compiled by SmartestEnergy.

Only 16 new independent renewable projects were completed in Kent last year adding 50.7MW of clean generation, although it remains a UK leader for clean generation, said the study.

Entrepreneurs in the county have reacted most quickly to a new battery revolution, with nine projects planned to be in operation by 2020.

This will have a capacity of 594MW – almost 30 times the UK’s total battery capacity today, ranking Kent first among the UK.

Independent energy suppliers in the county have already won contracts to supply 78MW in the capacity market and so-called enhanced frequency response auctions.

Nationwide independent energy entrepreneurs have invested nearly £2.8 billion in more than 6,400 solar parks, wind farms and other renewable projects, with a combined capacity of 12.75GW.

"The renewables industry has been rocked by subsidy cuts that were too sudden and too steep..." - Iain Robertson, SmartestEnergy

Last year they supplied 8.6% of UK demand, enough to power 7.8 million homes – a quarter of all households.

To put the results into context, plans for a new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, which will power six million homes, is expected to cost £18 billion and take 10 years to build.

Iain Robertson, vice president of renewables at SmartestEnergy, said: “Energy entrepreneurs have demonstrated that they can build clean, renewable generation at scale, quickly and cost-effectively.

“But political support and a stable policy environment are vital, and the renewables industry has been rocked by subsidy cuts that were too sudden and too steep.

“Around two-thirds of existing power stations are due to reach the end of their lives by 2030, and the UK needs solutions which will keep the lights on and cut carbon while keeping electricity affordable.

“We call on the government to recognise the role renewables and storage can play in its forthcoming industrial strategy, and to allow them to compete with traditional generation on a level playing field.”