Germany's battery storage capacity surges on large projects

Battery storage installations in Germany rose sharply in the first five months of 2026, driven by a surge in large-scale projects, according to data published by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) on Monday.

Around 225,000 battery storage systems with a combined capacity of 3.4 gigawatt hours (GWh) were installed between January and May, up 70% from the same period a year earlier, the association said, citing Germany's market register.

Large-scale storage facilities accounted for 1.47 GWh of the newly installed capacity, more than four times the level recorded a year earlier. They overtook residential solar battery systems, which posted only modest growth.

Battery storage systems can store surplus electricity generated by solar and wind power, reduce grid bottlenecks and lower the need for costly interventions in the power system, BSW-Solar said.

The association said battery storage had become increasingly important for integrating renewable energy into Germany's power network, particularly as delays in grid expansion make it harder for new solar parks to operate profitably without storage capacity.

Around two-thirds of solar parks planned over the next two years are expected to include battery storage systems, BSW-Solar chief executive Carsten Körnig said.

Despite what he described as a battery storage boom, Körnig warned that future growth was not guaranteed. A study by consultancy Enervis found that under unfavourable conditions, Germany could add only around 15 GWh of large-scale storage capacity by 2029.

While projects totalling 58 GWh are currently being planned, lengthy grid connection procedures and regulatory uncertainty could delay or prevent many of them from being built, Körnig said.