Poland to see its first large-scale solar storage project

Chinese EV, stationary battery company and PV panel maker BYD has announced the commissioning of Poland’s first large-scale solar power-linked storage project.

The company said the storage system is being operated in cooperation with Polish BIPV cell and module manufacturer, ML System.

The storage unit is linked to a 1 MW PV plant developed under Poland’s auction scheme for solar projects up to 1 MW in scale.

“The newly launched energy storage project will be combined with a 1 MW solar power plant also produced and sold by BYD, enabling peak shaving and [the creation of] a more balanced power network,” the Chinese company said.

BYD’s numbers add up

The storage units were shipped by BYD in May.

“We believe that this project will be able to provide valuable lessons for power market reform and at the same time further consolidate our position in the Polish energy storage market,” said BYD Renewable Energy Business Development Director, Guo Bin.

In 2017, the solar and battery divisions of BYD enjoyed a relatively positive year, with revenue increasing 18.85% on 2016, to reach RMB8.44 billion ($1.34 billion). Last year, batteries and PV accounted for 8% of BYD’s revenue, up from 7% in 2016.

The Chinese group entered an energy storage partnership with German inverter maker Kostal in September.