1 Million European Homes Now Powered By Solar Batteries

Solar battery-powered homes are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in Germany. Total residential battery capacity in Europe is expected to reach 9.3 GWh by the end of 2022, powering over 1 million households, according to the most recent SolarPower Europe research.

Germany leads the list of European countries with the most battery storage, accounting for 59% of the European market in 2021, followed by Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland by a small margin.

In Europe, total home battery capacity spiraled from 650,000 installed in 2021 to one million home batteries in 2022. According to SPE, Europe now has enough home batteries to power more than every Latvian household.

The most recent data on home batteries installed in European homes, which are used to support rooftop solar PV systems, show a clear trend of consumers seeking protection from rising electricity prices.

Total capacity increased from about 3 GWh in 2020 to more than 5 GWh in 2021, and then grew even faster to 9 GWh in 2022.

In 2021, the European residential battery storage market added more than 2.3 GWh and more than 200,000 individual units. Those were two new records. Yet 2022 has been even much bigger.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, said: “Solar and storage are the perfect pair. Batteries supply the power of the sun, around the clock. In years defined by high retail electricity prices, solar & storage helps to reduce electricity bills. It is no surprise that consumers are installing record numbers of battery powered homes every year.”

The top five European markets for home batteries (Germany, Italy, Austria, UK, and Switzerland) were responsible for 88% of the installed batteries in Europe in 2021 — with Germany leading with a 59% share alone. To accelerate solar & storage deployment, SolarPower Europe calls on EU policymakers to use existing funds to support the battery component of solar systems in emerging residential solar markets.

Michael Schmela, Director of Market Intelligence at SolarPower Europe, said, “An occasionally overlooked technology, batteries have essentially become a standard component of household solar systems in leading markets. This success story needs to be replicated across Europe. European policymakers must recognise and follow the clear market signals coming from their citizens. People are seeking true control of their energy bills and affordable, reliable, and clean power supply – in other words, solar & battery storage.”

SolarPowerEU forecasts that the number of homes hosting solar batteries in Europe will only increase in coming years, most likely tripling today’s market to 3.5 million battery-powered homes by 2026. It could be nearly 40% more, but it could also be a third less — depending on policies. It is critical to establish appropriate policy frameworks to further support solar power combined with stationary battery energy storage.

There are also concerns about battery shortages. “To anticipate this bottleneck, and to complement renewable energy targets, SolarPower Europe is calling for a comprehensive EU electricity storage strategy and a target of 200 GW by 2030. EU countries should integrate individual targets in the upcoming revision of their National Energy and Climate Plans.”

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