Energieversorgung: Schon eine halbe Million neuer Batteriespeicher

Germany's battery storage sector is rapidly expanding, with nearly half a million new units now in operation, according to the Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft (BSW-Solar). This represents an increase of 8.2 gigawatt-hours, or 91 percent, compared to the same period last year. The figure encompasses around 493,000 to 534,000 new installations in the first nine months of this year. The BSW-Solar anticipates even more growth in 2025, with the potential addition of over 10 gigawatt-hours to the total capacity.

In terms of sheer numbers, there has been a moderate growth rate in the quantity of battery storage units. However, a significant portion of this growth is driven by the installation of large-scale storage systems, with capacities greater than one megawatt. The number of new installations in this category surged from 63 to 220, adding a substantial 0.9 to 3.8 gigawatt-hours of capacity.

This growth outpaced the residential battery segment, where the number of new units increased from 261,000 to 303,000, and the capacity added grew from 2.6 to 3.2 gigawatt-hours.

Battery storage plays a crucial role in Germany's energy transition, as it helps smooth out fluctuations in power generation from renewable sources. Carsten Körnig, the CEO of BSW-Solar, stated that "battery storage is emerging as a growth driver and efficiency lever for the energy transition, enabling us to make the power system more efficient and saving billions in costs."

However, the association emphasizes the need for a much faster expansion. To integrate the expansion of renewable energy sources into the power system in the most cost-effective manner, BSW-Solar suggests that the country should install four to five times the anticipated 10 gigawatt-hours of battery storage capacity by 2030.

To accelerate the expansion, the BSW-Solar has published a position paper with proposals for reforms. These reforms focus on facilitating the joint operation of batteries with solar and wind farms, as well as at consumer locations, and changes to the regulation for automatically disconnecting plants in the event of potential grid crises.

Körnig calls for batteries to become a priority, stating, "Germany cannot afford to let more and more cheap solar and wind energy go to waste while high electricity costs are being debated. Battery storage can help make existing networks more efficient and make the energy transition more affordable. For this to happen, the politics must now remove the legal obstacles."