NAME

1.The name of the Association shall be the Energy Storage Association (UK) (which may be abbreviated to ESA UK) herein after referred to as ‘The Association’.

SCOPE

2.The Association shall represent the development and deployment of current and future energy storage technologies for behind and front of meter developments to support the decarbonisation, reduced costs and increased security of the energy system with the deployment of clean technologies for the generation of energy in the United Kingdom.

STATUS

3.The Association shall be a not-for-profit Association (Registered Company) of Member Organisations with liability limited by guarantee.

OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE (REASON FOR BEING)

4. The Key Objectives of The Association (“the Objectives”) are to:

i) Increase the flow of information between Members to jointly tackle obstacles and jointly develop knowledge, understanding and good practice concerning energy storage and other related matters.

ii) Establish and enhance national (especially Government and public) recognition and acceptance of the benefits that all forms of Energy Storage can deliver.

iii) Within the boundaries of commercial confidentiality, share with local authorities, academic institutions, regulators, electricity network operators, system operators, other public sector bodies community groups and members, etc, information on various energy storage technologies and their essential need to decarbonise the electricity grid.

iv) Engage, consultants and partners as appropriate, with relevant government advisory and regulatory bodies, and other Trade Associations, to drive the strategy and future direction of Energy Storage development and related government policy in the UK. For example, by:

         a) Responding to consultation papers

         b) Consulting with, and urging government for support mechanisms for Energy Storage

         c) Consulting with government to ensure that any regulatory frameworks support and do not hinder the development of Energy Storage energy in the UK

Taking a lead role in the formulation of the proposed regulations relating to the development and operation of Energy Storage in the UK, including offering a representative of the ESA UK to sit on any steering committees or similar formed by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM), National Energy System Operator (NESO) or other government bodies or representatives in relation to these issues.

ACTIVITIES

5.The activities of the Association will be:

• To promote and advance the adoption and use of Energy Storage and related technology.
• To develop and promote standards and best practice for the business operations, competence and integrity of Members, and performance for energy storage development and deployment.
• To promote and increase the reputation of all member organisations in the field of Energy Storage and wellbeing where applicable, and further the interests of members generally.
• To endeavour to resolve any differences which may arise amongst Members.
• To circulate information to Members which may be relevant to, or impact upon, Members’ interests.
• To co-operate with other organisations and associations and act jointly with them to enhance the achievement of the Association’s Objectives.
• To promote best practice in the delivery of Energy Storage in the UK to aid other parties to decarbonise, increase the security and reduce the costs of the UK energy ecosystem

CONSTITUENTS

6.Membership will be open to Full Members, Associate Members or Educational Member organisations in the United Kingdom [WB2] , involved in or with knowledge or stakeholder interest in Energy Storage development and deployment.

MEMBERSHIP

7.Members shall fall into the following categories: ‘Founder” “Full’ “Associate” or “Academic” Membership.

        i) Founding Members will be comprised of the founding organisations listed in Schedule 1. Founding members will provide representatives on the controlling board. They will be responsible for the management committee, the governance and legal compliance of the ESA UK.

        ii) Full Members will be organisations that have a significant presence in the storage of energy through heat, electricity, hydrogen or other means, either through manufacture, distribution, installation, developer or similar.

        iii) Associate Members will be comprised of any other stakeholder with an interest in Energy Storage.

        iv) Academic Members must be an accredited university or college with a focus on net zero and clean technology studies and/or research and prepared to provide pro bono academic support through working groups

8.Application for Membership shall be made using the Membership Application Form.

9.Applications for membership will be assessed and ESA will endeavour to respond to all applications within 15 working days.

10.Upon application for membership, Members agree to follow the Association’s Code of Conduct and abide by the Rules of the Association, prescribed herein, at all times.

11.Upon acceptance as a member, Members shall pay, within 30 days of issue of invoice, a Membership Fee which will become dueannually. (The subscription fee for the first year for membership will be calculated on a pro rata basis based on the duration of membership up to the annual renewal date, rounded up to the number of nearest whole months).

12.Upon receipt of the fees payable the Association shall include the new Member in the circulation of papers of the Association. New Full Members will be invited to attend all meetings and Associate and Academic Members will be provided minutes and details of meetings and be invited to attend relevant meetings at the Management Committee’s discretion.

13.An applicant for membership whose application has been refused may appeal to the Chairperson of the Association and demonstrate how the applicant will address any shortfall identified in achieving membership criteria. The Chairperson will investigate the facts and submit a recommendation to the Management Committee for final decision.

14.Full Members shall be entitled to attend General Meetings.

15.Associate Members shall be entitled to attend the Annual General Meeting and may raise items for discussion at the Management Committee Meetings.

16.The Association will maintain a register of Founder, Full, Associate and Academic Members which will contain the full name and trading address of every Member company and the name and contact details of the lead representative.

17.Changes in the following details shall be notified immediately to the association: 

• Company name
• Company address, telephone/fax or e-mail address 
• Company representative or title

Liability of each Member

18.The liability of each member is limited to £1, being the amount that each member undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Company in the event of it being wound up while he is a member or within one year after he ceases to be a member, for:

         i) Payment of the Company's debts and liabilities contracted before they cease to be a member;

         ii) Payment of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up; and

         iii) Adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves.

Cancellation of Membership

19.If an account has failed to be settled within 60 days of the date of invoice, the Member may be notified by the Association that their membership is cancelled but any outstanding membership fees shall remain due. For re-enrolment, the normal procedure for enrolment of a new Member shall be followed.

20.All Member organisations will be kept informed of details of organisations coming into membership and cancellations of membership by the Association.

Withdrawal from Membership

21.Notice of intent to withdraw from membership of the Association shall be given to the Association in writing 1 months in advance of the start of each membership year. KINDLY NOTE if notice is not given in accordance with the above, then the membership fee for that next membership year will apply in full. No rebate of fees already paid shall be due.

22.Upon withdrawal from membership the former member will cease to have any interest or claim against the Association and any use ofsymbols, logos, associated material or reference to the Association shall be withdrawn from literature with immediate effect.

Expulsion from Membership

23.The Management Committee shall be empowered to expel by simple majority vote any member found to be acting contrary to the interests of the Association provided the disciplinary procedures of the Association have been followed as follows:

         i) Written notice of the charge against the Member has been served

         ii) The Member has had the opportunity to state their case in an appeal before the Management Committee or its representatives.

         iii) An appeal has been heard, or a period of 3 months has elapsed without the Member taking up the opportunity for a meeting for appeal

24.The Member company shall pay all outstanding debts owed to the Association and upon expulsion the Member will cease to have any interest or claim against the Association and any use of symbols, logos, associated material and/or reference to the Association shall be withdrawn from literature with immediate effect.

MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION

Composition of the Management Committee

25.The Committee, in accordance with the provisions set forth in clause 30 of this Agreement, shall be comprised of one representative fromeach of the Founder Members who joined at the formation of the Association and up to a further 4 additional Full Members and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), making a total of up to ten maximum Members of the Management Committee, of which one Member will be appointed by election and act as chairperson.

26.The chairperson of the association shall hold the office for a maximum of three years. At the end of the three-year tenure, a new chairperson shall be elected and the existing chairperson stands for re-election if they choose.

27.If any Founder Member resigns from the Management Committee or leaves the Association, then nominations will be invited from all Full Members not presently represented on the Management Committee for a replacement Full Member to be represented on the Management Committee, such nominations to be decided by a vote by the Management Committee where in the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have the prevailing vote.

Duties Of The Management Committee

28.The Management Committee shall be responsible for all matters relating to the policies of the Association.

29.The Management Committee shall:

        i) Enter negotiations with such organisations that may be of benefit to the Association.

         ii) Appoint committees and ad-hoc Working Groups within the Association.

         iii) Appoint members to assist in the operations of the Association. 

         iv) Develop and approve any amendments to the Constitution and Rules of the Association.

         v) Listen to any appeals against expulsion of a Member from membership.

          vi) Optionally appoint an “honorable president and vice president” role as appropriate to represent the association

Nomination and Appointment to the Management Committee

30.Nominations for appointment to the Management Committee shall be made one month before the Annual General Meeting with confirmation from the nominee of willingness to serve for a term of one year. The nominees shall be from paid up Full Member organisations and appropriate industry professionals as appropriate. Nominations shall be published in the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting.

31.Management Committee members may be re-appointed on an annual basis by their organisations

32.Positions may remain vacant where there are no nominations for candidates from the listed categories.

33.A Management Committee member may be removed from the Committee when there is a majority of more than 75% of votes from all other serving Committee Members. Notice of the proposed removal shall be shown in the Agenda convening the meeting of Management Committee.

34.Any Member of the association who is a member of the Management Committee and who leaves the association will then automatically leave the Management Committee

Duties Of The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

35.The CEO and associated staff shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation and administration of the Association as generally set out in this Constitution, including but not limited to taking and issuing of minutes of meetings, issuing of notices, preparing and issuing correspondence and notices to Members and others, and those duties further detailed hereunder: 

Website for the Association

        i) Paying for registration and upkeep on ESA-UK.org domain name

        ii) The building of the website to the satisfaction of the Management Committee or its appointed representative

        iii) Paying for hosting of the website

        iv) Paying and implementing and keeping up to date security for the website

        v) Updating and general maintenance of the website

        vi) Operating a newsletter for all Members and paying for all sub-contracted work for such newsletter

        vii) Handling all incoming and outgoing correspondence generated from the website

         viii) Issuing press releases for the Association via the chairperson or sub-contracted source

Promotion of the Association

         i) List ESA-UK.org on all major internet search engines

         ii) E-mail all stakeholders and relevant parties to promote the Association

         iii) Link ESA-UK.org to all relevant website

         iv) Produce promotional business cards for each Member

         v) Produce promotional material available for Conferences i.e. Banners, Flyers, etc

Remuneration of the CEO and Chairperson

36.The Association shall pay the CEO a remuneration for the duties as set out in this Constitution of a sum equal to fifty percent (50%) of theFounder Membership fees and as detailed in schedule 2, such proportion shall be payable to the CEO when the membership fee is paid to the Association. Further remuneration to be paid as full membership increases and subject to approval by the management committee. Payment to the Chairperson will be based upon agreement by the Management Committee up to £25,000 per year based on incumbent and participation. Should the Chairperson come from a member organisation then no payment will be made. 

MEETINGS

Annual General Meeting

37.The Annual General Meeting will be held annually for the purpose of:

        i) The presentation of the financial report for the last completed financial year by the CEO and Chairperson and the appointment of auditors for the ensuing year.

         ii) The election of the new Chairperson, if required, will be carried out by ballot at the Annual General Meeting and decided by majority vote by the Founder and Full Members. Where there is an equality of votes the prevailing Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

        iii) Setting joining and membership fees for the following financial year.

        iv) The consideration of any other business to be specified on an Agenda and submitted to the Management Committee at least 30 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

38.The agenda, Annual report (including financial report) and other information decided upon by the management committee shall be distributed to the Members by the CEO 10 days before the Annual General Meeting.

Special General Meeting

39.A special general meeting may be requested by a Founder Member of the association to the CEO, clearly stating the grounds for making the request.

40.The CEO should request each member of the Management Committee to consider the request and, if approved by a simple majority a minimum of at least 15 days’ notice shall be given to all Members specifying the purpose for which the meeting has been called.

Meeting of the Management Committee

41.Meeting of the Management Committee shall be convened by the Chairperson as often as they may consider reasonably necessary for the purpose of carrying out the business of the Association, but in any event should not be less than once per annum.

42.The agenda shall be distributed by the CEO to the Members at least 10 days before the Management Committee Meeting.

43.A Member of the Management Committee may send a nominated representative in their place to a meeting of the Management Committee who will act and vote on their behalf.

Quorum

44.A quorum for a Management Committee Meeting shall consist of at least half (50%) of the Management Committee membership including the Chairperson.

Procedures at Management Committee Meetings

45.At every meeting the Chairperson shall take the chair. In the event of the unforeseen absence of the Chairperson the Management Committee shall commence with a vote to agree to a chairperson for the meeting.

46. All proposals from Full Member should be seconded by a Founder Member before they are considered by the Management Committee.

47.Any proposals or amendments which fall outside the scope of notice convening the meeting may be ruled out of discussion by the Chairperson.

48.Proposals and/or amendments will be considered and decided upon in turn.

49.Management Committee members shall have the right to cast one vote. Where there is an equality of votes the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

50.Any Management Committee member may speak concerning a proposal or amendment, but once the motion is decided upon, or a course of action agreed, by more than 75% of the Members present, either by consensus, show of hands or if so requested by ballot, the item shall be minuted and passed.

Ballots

51.Procedure for ballots:

        i) The Management Committee shall decide who shall count the votes.

        ii) The Chairperson will announce the results of the ballot.

FINANCE

Membership Fees and Financial Reports

52.The funds of the Association shall be raised principally from membership fees with the inaugural membership fees shown in Schedule 3. The funds shall be used to meet the costs of the CEO and the Chairperson where such person serves in a paid capacity, and to achieve the objectives of the Association in a manner approved by the Management Committee which may include for example: additional staff, contracts for professional services rendered (including but not limited to the auditors of the Association), publicity and marketing and recompense of expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the Association.

53.The management of the financial affairs of the Association shall be by the CEO, who shall submit recommendations for the approval of the Management Committee in respect of:

       i) The Annual Core Membership fee, annually indexed in accordance with schedule 3.

        ii) Additional funding proposals above the Annual Core Membership fees

        iii) Financial reports for presentation at the Annual General Meeting

        iv) Financial reports for the consideration of the Management Committee

         v) Recommendation for the appointment or termination of the Auditors

Bank Account Signatories

54.Bank transactions on the bank account of the Association shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Management Committee and the CEO with a nominated deputy to be agreed by the Management Committee

Accountants and Auditors

55.Upon the recommendation of the CEO at the Annual General Meeting an accountant and an auditor will be appointed. An audit shall be carried out at the end of every financial year. Re-appointment an/or termination of the auditors will be decided at the Annual General Meeting and will be notified to Members in the Agenda.

Financial Year

56.The Financial Year of the Association will be from 1st April to 31st March. The membership year will be the same as for the Financial Year.

Income and property

57.The income and property of the Company shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objects as set forth in this Article 57 and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to members of the Company, provided that nothing herein shall prevent any payment in good faith by the Company: 

        i) of reasonable and proper remuneration to any member, officer or servant of the Company for any services rendered to the Company;

        ii) Of any interest on money lent by any member of the Company or any director at a reasonable and proper rate;

        iiii) of reasonable and proper rent for premises demised or let by any member of the Company or any director; and

         iv) to any director of out-of-pocket expenses.

58.Sections of the Companies Acts, or any statutory modification thereof shall have effect as if “Management Committee member” and “the Management Committee” were substituted for “Director” and “the Directors” respectively.

RULES

Use of the Association Name and/or Logos

59.Members will be provided with a Certificate of Membership by the Association upon payment of the membership fees.

60.Fully paid up Members shall be entitled to use and display the Logo of the Association, and state their corporate membership status on their stationary, marketing and advertising literature, in accordance with the Regulations for Use of the ESA (UK) Logo but NOT on any product packaging to avoid the possibility of any misinterpretation of product endorsement, certification, or performance guarantee.

61.Fully paid up Associate and Academic Members shall be entitled to use and display the Associate and Academic Membership logo, andstate their Associate or Academic membership status on their stationary, marketing and advertising literature , whether in hard or soft copy, on their website, or any other social media platforms they make use, provided that such use is in accordance with the Regulations for Use of the ESA (UK) Logo but NOT on any product packaging to avoid the possibility of any misinterpretation of product endorsement, certification, or performance guarantee.

62.Where membership is terminated, the entitlement to use the Association Name, symbols, logos, intellectual property and Associated material or reference to the Association is also terminated and shall be withdrawn from the Member company’s literature, whether in hard or soft copy, and from any social media or online platform on which it appears, with immediate effect.

Conduct

63.All Members shall abide by the Rules of the Association issued at the time of joining and updated and held on the ESA (UK) website

64.All Members shall act in a professional manner and shall strive to achieve the highest standards of integrity and competence in delivering objectives.

65.Members shall endeavour to always enhance the standing and public recognition of Energy Storage and the Association.

66.Members shall not make false, unsubstantiated or misleading claims regarding the performance or capabilities of their organisation.

67.Members shall not denigrate or make remarks of a slanderous nature concerning other Member companies.

Disciplinary action

68.Any Member company found to be in breach of the Rules of the Association, or who brings discredit to the Association, may be subject to disciplinary action by the Association which may result in expulsion from membership.

Breach of Confidentiality, Fraudulent Practice and Legal Proceedings

69.Any Member company found to be using confidential information regarding the Association, howsoever obtained, or found to be involved in fraudulent practice, shall be subject to disciplinary action by the Association which may result in expulsion from membership

70.The Management Committee shall have the power to institute legal proceedings or other appropriate action to recover unpaid membership fees, defend against misuse of the Association name, logos, other intellectual property and/or the actions of Members bringing the Association into disrepute.

Complaints Procedure

71.Any Member having a complaint regarding the administration or management of the Association may submit the complaint in writing to the CEO who will investigate the matter and take appropriate steps to resolve the issue.

72.Where the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant an appeal may be made to the Chairperson to resolve the matter at the next Management Committee meeting. Any decision made by the Management Committee shall be final.

Amendment of the Constitution and Rules

73.Amendments to the Constitution and Rules of the Association may be proposed by any paid-up Founder or Full Member by submitting such request in writing to the CEO and stating the proposed wording and why the amendment is required

74.Amendments to the Constitution and Rules shall be decided by the Management Committee with a 75% majority required. Proposed amendments will be notified to all Members by the CEO 10 days in advance of an Annual or Special General meeting.

Dissolution of the Association

75.Upon a 75% majority vote of all Management Committee members, a notification will be issued to all Members of the proposed dissolution of the Association. A ballot will be organised in accordance with these rules and the results reported at a Special General Meeting. Where there is a majority vote of at least 75% from the Management Committee in favour of the Association shall be dissolved. At the meeting theManagement Committee members shall decide what action shall be taken regarding any remaining funds after the liquidation of all assets and liabilities.

76.If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Company there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid or distributed among the members of the Company, but shall be given or transferred to some other institution (charitable or otherwise) having objects similar to the objects of the Company and which shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income to its or their members, such institutions to be determined by the members of the Company at or before the time of dissolution.

Schedule 1 – Organisations who intend to become Founder Members following the Inception of the Association

Intended Founder Members, subject to their completion of an application, and subject to payment in full of the membership fees in accordance with this constitution are:-

         i) GivEnergy Group Ltd

         ii) Powervault Ltd 

        iii) Sunsynk Ltd

Academic Members on inception 

       i) Keele University

      ii) Durham University

Schedule 2 - The CEO and Chairperson

1.The CEO, unless otherwise agreed by a unanimous vote of the Management Committee shall be: Jason Howlett

E-mail: Jason.howlett@esa-uk.org

2.In the event of a motion being tabled to remove the CEO, each member of the Management Committee shall act reasonably, and take due account of any evidence of the poor performance of the CEO in such vote

3.The CEO’s Remuneration

           The CEO’s annual remuneration shall be calculated in accordance with the following

•  50% of the total of all Founder Members Core Membership Fees which shall be indexed annuallyin accordance with schedule 3, plus
• A percentage of full and associate Member Fees, as agreed by the Management Committee Members, which shall be indexed annually in accordance with schedule 3

4.The Chairperson, unless otherwise agreed by a unanimous vote of the Management Committee shall be;

Baroness Berger of Barn Hill

5.In the event of a motion being tabled to remove the Chairperson before their 3-year term, each member of the Management Committeeshall act reasonably, and take due account of any evidence of the poor performance of the Chairperson in such vote

6.The Chairpersons Remuneration

          The Chairpersons annual remuneration shall be in accordance with the following

• £25,000 if an external candidate 
• Zero if from a member organisation

Schedule 3 – Inaugural Membership Fees

1.Membership fees will be notified to members and published on the website each year. 

2.On an annual basis the Membership fees may be indexed by the Retail Price Index.