Storage capacities almost doubled within a year
Large-scale storage capacity doubled, further strong growth expected
03.02.2025
Source: E & M powernews
The German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) has published figures on installed battery storage systems. Commercial and large-scale storage systems are showing strong momentum.
The preliminary annual balance sheet of the German Solar Industry Association shows almost 600,000 newly installed battery storage systems in Germany for 2024. This means that both the absolute number and the storage capacity in Germany have increased by almost 50 percent compared to the previous year. According to the BSW, the analysis includes both home and commercial and large-scale storage systems.
Carsten König describes the combination of solar system and storage system as "standard". Against this backdrop, the Managing Director of the BSW welcomes the recent agreement reached by the SPD, Green and CDU/CSU parliamentary groups in the Bundestag on measures to remove market barriers in order to allow storage systems to be used more flexibly and to develop their grid-beneficial potential.
In its press release, the association particularly emphasizes large-scale storage projects with a capacity of more than 1,000 kWh. In 2024, around twice as much large-scale storage capacity was newly installed as in 2023. Around 100 projects with a total of 800,000 kWh went into operation. According to the BSW, the total storage capacity of projects above the 1 MWh mark is just under 2.3 million kWh.
Five-fold increase in capacity possible for large storage systems
The BSW assumes that the expansion of large-scale storage systems will continue to pick up speed in the coming years. "According to current market forecasts, the installed capacity of large battery storage systems could increase fivefold over the next two years," it continues. Energy experts also agree that "further powerful storage expansion" is necessary in order to stabilize the volatile feed-in of the growing number of renewable energy systems. "Storage systems are the fastest, cheapest and most effective instrument for integrating solar energy into the electricity market and the electricity grid," explains König. A rapid expansion of storage capacities is therefore a key success factor for the energy transition.
According to the BSW, 580,000 solar home storage units will be added in 2024, bringing the total number of installed units to 1.8 million. The storage capacity behind this amounts to 15.4 million kWh. In fact, the increase represents a decline in the growth rate of 7 percent.
In contrast, the number of commercial battery storage systems installed in Germany soared by 26 percent last year. Accordingly, the total number of commercial storage systems installed in Germany rose by more than 60 percent to 38,000 systems within one year. According to the association, these have a total storage capacity of 1.4 million kWh.
Author: Fritz Wilhelm
