T Eva Amate, Head of Sales (C&I BESS) Europe, and Nicolás Gallego, Sales and Application Engineer C&I, Jinko ESS, discuss the European market, battery cell manufacturing, safety and the economics of commercial and industrial storage.
PES: Welcome to you both. We’ve seen significant growth in commercial and industrial energy storage across Europe in recent years. How would you describe the market today, and where are you seeing the strongest demand?
Eva Amate: It’s an interesting time for C&I energy storage in Europe. The market is growing quickly and becoming more mature, with particularly strong interest in countries such as Italy, Spain and Germany. High energy costs, increasing solar penetration and grid constraints are all contributing to that demand.
We’re also seeing a change in what customers are looking for. They’re thinking more carefully about long-term performance, safety and project economics, rather than focusing simply on the cost of the battery.
PES: What is driving businesses towards energy storage now? Is the conversation mainly about energy costs, resilience and renewable integration, or are customers beginning to look at storage more strategically?
EA: Energy cost reduction and solar self-consumption remain key drivers, but customers are becoming more strategic. They increasingly want storage to combine several applications, from peak shaving and PV optimisation to energy trading and grid services. The conversation is shifting from buying a battery to optimising an energy asset.