Energy storage could ‘drive development’ in emerging economies

Germany’s energy system regulator has confirmed that BESS projects coming online by 4 August 2029 will be exempt from charging and discharging grid fees, opening up investment again after months of uncertainty.

Solar Media Market Research analyst Charlotte Gisbourne looks at the changing revenue and margin dynamics in the BESS supplier landscape.

Australia has emerged as the world’s third-largest utility-scale battery energy storage market, with 4.3GW of large-scale battery storage systems reaching financial close in 2025.

The transition to new energy technologies, including grid-scale and vehicle batteries, can help fossil-fuel-dependent countries improve their energy security.

The situation and uncertainty around grid connections and grid fees in Germany is evolving, possibly enabling market participants to look beyond the August 2029 grid fee exemption cut-off date – although uncertainty is still very high.