The facts and figures of the German energy storage industry were collected for BVES by Team Consult.
For the first time they enable us to gain an understanding of the wider economic potential, as they show the growing relevance of Germany’s young energy storage industry in terms of industrial policy. The positive developments are mostly driven by small and medium-sized enterprises at the moment.
Of the more than EUR 5 billion turnover generated by the industry in 2018, around EUR 3 billion comes from new storage technologies and applications alone. The segment of battery storage for use in systems has been developing particularly well.
In fact it’s a dynamic revenue driver. At the same time, employment figures have been rising steadily in the industry. From 2017 to 2018 alone BVES is expecting to see a 9% increase in employment. These figures are already making the energy storage industry half as big as Germany’s lignite industry.
Alongside the dynamic economic and political significance of energy storage, we can also see its growing economic relevance for our energy system and for the energy turnaround.
Power stores and thermal heat stores are already being used widely and systematically. In 2017 the installed energy storage was around 7,370 MW. This is enough to provide temporary storage for the annual power requirements of over 6 million people. At the same time the thermal heat stores installed in Germany can produce around 30 TWh of heat for nearly 7 million people.
As well as providing electric power, heat and numerous other applications, energy storage delivers major added value to the efficient integration of renewable energies into our energy system. Even today the systematic use of energy stores would, for instance, save an annual equivalent of 10.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This would be tantamount to saving 10% of carbon emissions from cars in Germany.
• “This year the energy storage industry is set to crack the EUR 5 billion turnover mark, and the systematic use of power and thermal heat stores is already substantial. The development holds great potential for the German energy system and also for the country’s domestic economy. If Germany wants to retain this growing industry within its borders, it urgently needs to adjust the underlying conditions.”
Urban Windelen, Executive Director of the German Energy Storage Association (BVES)
• “The results of BVES are also reflected in the development of Energy Storage Europe. All key performance indicators of the event are growing. Looking at the provisional registrations, we are particularly pleased to see such a clear expansion of interest from abroad.”
Hans Werner Reinhard, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
The German Energy Storage Association (BVES) represents the interests of companies with the joint aim of developing and marketing energy storage in the areas of electricity, heat and mobility. BVES is open to all types of technology and maintains an ongoing dialogue with government, public administration, research and the general public.
