he market research experts at EuPD Research hosted the “Storage & Solar Briefing” in Stuttgart for the second time. Alongside the technical possibilities of storage solutions, the profitability of such technologies also formed one of the central topics of the discussion. Whilst the market is growing as a whole, the absolute market volume still remains limited, despite the fact that more and more end customers are seeking information from manufacturers and installers. The branch now wishes to improve this communication.
Bonn / Stuttgart. Storage system manufacturers came together for the second time in Stuttgart for the “2nd Storage & Solar Briefing” to discuss the latest market developments and analyse the chances and potentials of this young and growing market. Alongside market experts and analysts from the organisers EuPD Research, the most significant manufacturers also contributed their market perceptions and strategies to the discussion. As part of the network meeting, the co-initiator Intersolar announced their plans to intensify activities within the sector, and revealed that the specialist trade fair “electrical energy storage” (ees) would be taking place from 2014 onwards as part of Intersolar Europe.
Successful market development: All a question of viewpoint. The positive developments in the solar energy storage market were expressed both by Martin Ammon, Senior Analyst at EuPD Research and Chief-Analyst Markus Lohr. Although the concrete market volume remains relatively modest, the market development in the past 12 months proved to be quite promising, says Lohr. There are currently around 5,000 storage systems installed in Germany, and the existing market incentive program (Marktanreizprogramm), which has been in place since May, has still not been entirely exhausted. Most speakers viewed this reservation with regards to the use of storage promotion with surprise; however, the complicated application procedure and lack of information policy were both seen as reasons for this apparent lack of interest. Borrowing banks, from which credits for storage systems were often requested, were also often too reluctant and uncooperative in providing these.
However, the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) was confident that the available funds would be allocated correctly throughout the course of the year. In order to grow the market in the future, discussions on topping up the market incentive program are already being planned, as well as an improvement of information policy for end customers and installers. The Solar Industry Association wish to present all the most important information on the special website: www.die-sonne-speichern.de. The potential is great, but end customers want more information.
Analyst Markus Lohr illustrated how important targeted communication could be: According to the results of a recent EuPD Research end customer survey, almost every person interested in PV was aware of the availability of solar storage systems, and every second respondent even stated that they had considered installing one.
This huge potential has so far not been sufficiently activated by installers or manufacturers. Only every third customer who requested an offer from an installer actually had a system installed, and market analysts see extensive room for improvement on the part of the manufacturers.
According to Markus Lohr, the expansion of existing systems is also a profitable sector, but is often neglected. Despite all hindrances, such as the currently still relatively high costs of purchase, the expectations of end customers with regard to the return on investment are still quite moderate. According to EuPD Research’s analyses, around 45 per cent of customers are already satisfied when the return on investment of a PV system with storage is slightly above positive. Activating these customers needs to become the business of manufacturers and installers.
The event was supported by Intersolar Europe as co-initiator, RWE Effizienz as premium partner and the International Battery and Energy Storage Alliance IBESA. The organisers would also like to thank BSW-Solar, the German CleanTech Institute, Berlin Brandenburg Energy Network, IPVEA, the global networking initiative Joint Forces for Solar, Solar Valley Mitteldeutschland, Solar Input, Solarcluster Baden-Württemberg, OTTI, StoREgio, SEMI and VDMA, as well as the media partners Sun & Wind Energy, et Energiewirtschaftliche Tagesfragen and the web portal Energieblogger.
The results of all EuPD Research findings, as well as the presentations held at the “Storage & Solar Briefing 2013” are available from EuPD Research. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact our press office.
About EuPD Research:
EuPD Research is an international service provider focusing on B2B market research with a highly specialized multilingual interview center. We provide our clients in Europe, Asia and the US with the entire range of qualitative and quantitative research services. With the help of in-depth market knowledge combined with methodological professionalism, we provide practical, future-oriented business solutions and ensure that our clients receive a return on their research investment. Our continuous research has enabled us to develop particular skills in the field of renewable energy sources, particularly in the field of solar energy.
