It has been reported that the number of photovoltaic system installations with energy storage units in Germany has reached 650,000, with a total capacity of nearly 7 gigawatt-hours. According to calculations made by the German solar energy industry association (BSW Solar) based on data from the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA), the number of new installations in 2022 was 52% higher than the previous year.

According to the association’s findings, 214,000 new energy storage units were installed in residential buildings in 2022, along with 3,900 units in commercial buildings. In 2021, 141,000 energy storage units were installed in residential buildings and 2,750 units in commercial buildings. As of the end of 2022, there were about 630,000 photovoltaic system installations with energy storage units in residential buildings and about 10,000 in commercial buildings in the country, with a total capacity of 6.7 gigawatt-hours.

BSW Solar predicts that the installation of these units will continue rapidly in the country. According to the results of a survey conducted by the association, 28% of electricity consumers in the country plan to invest in energy storage units connected to solar power generation systems within the next three years. However, for those who have already invested in energy storage, the main reason for their decision (53%) was to reduce their electricity consumption costs, while charging their electric vehicles (29%) came in second. In addition, for 20% of consumers, the desire to avoid high tariffs during periods of high consumption on the grid was a decisive factor.

BSW Solar emphasized in its statement that the achieved level of 6.7 gigawatt-hours must reach 55 gigawatt-hours by 2030 to maintain the balance of electricity grids in conjunction with Germany’s increasing and weather-dependent renewable energy production.