Saft and Bosch have begun high volume production of the Bosch BPT-S 5 Hybrid storage solution that includes Saft's lithium-ion batteries. The system was launched in 2012 and will now be delivered in volume.
The move comes at an apt time as the German Federal Ministry of Environment has also introduced the market incentive program to support storage in May. The market potential is pegged at 8,000 to 10,000 systems and entails subsidies worth 25 million for eligible, certified, decentralised battery storage systems that support on-grid PV systems.
The BPT-S 5 Hybrid integrates Saft's lithium-ion batteries with a solar inverter and an energy management system. The system is said to effectively time-shift the availability of solar power from the periods of peak production to make it available exactly when it is needed. This enables a typical four-person household to achieve self-consumption rates of 80% or more. The house owner does not need to intervene with the system thanks to the intelligent energy management, and maintenance-free energy storage as the companies state.
"Saft's lithium-ion technology proved its capability to meet the performance, reliability and safety needs of domestic users in the Sol-ion project that introduced lithium-ion batteries into PV systems on the largest scale ever tested in Europe," says François Bouchon, Director of Energy Storage at Saft. "Now, with this very important product for Bosch, we are building on the Sol-ion foundation as Saft Li-ion batteries are truly making the transition into the commercial arena."
Storage, an attractive option
In May, Germanys KfW Development Bank began offering low-interest loans for the installation of a combined photovoltaic and storage system or for retrofitting an existing solar plant with a solar battery.
Self-consumption is thus becoming an attractive option for German solar producers thanks to the increase in electricity prices and the sharp fall in PV system prices. A new survey by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) of photovoltaic installers shows that the share of self-generating users has grown among private businesses and households.
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