Featured in Outlook Obscured – 03-2025

The Smarter E: Two become one

As intermittent generation becomes more pervasive on grids around the world, the business case for locating solar and energy storage together is growing. For renewables developers, adding energy storage to a solar project can mitigate risk and provide the kind of firm power that utilities and corporate energy offtakers crave.

By

Matthew Lynas

05 Mar 2025

The Sunlight Storage II Battery Energy Storage System project in Riverside County, California, is part of the growing trend of co-locating energy storage with solar in the United States and other countries. | Photo: blmcalifornia/Wikimedia Commons

Hybrid plants are big business – and getting bigger. In January 2025, Emirati state-owned renewables investor Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Co. announced a $6 billion, gigawatt-scale solar and energy storage project in Abu Dhabi. The project is set to have 5.2 GW of solar generation capacity and a 19 GWh battery energy storage …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.