When will solar-plus-storage become economic in Europe?

This report investigates when solar-plus-storage will become economic in Europe. It provides an overview of the hybrid market’s status and delineates different system architectures. It further explores the economics of DC-coupled solar-plus-storage systems, when a storage system can only charge from the co-located solar-PV plants and performs time-shifting and energy arbitrage. The research includes a financial model that calculates solar hybrid systems’ net present value (NPV) on a lifetime basis for assets going into operation out to 2030 in eight European countries: Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The second part of this report will be published by the end of this year and will focus on the economics of AC-coupled systems enabling storage systems to charge and discharge from the grid, thereby providing additional services to the market, such as participation in ancillary markets.