MUNICH, Germany (23 June 2026): Europe’s battery storage market continued its record-breaking trajectory in 2025, with 36 GWh of new installations, marking the twelfth consecutive year of growth, according to SolarPower Europe’s European Battery Market Outlook 2026–2030. The latest additions pushed Europe’s total operational battery capacity beyond 100 GWh for the first time, underscoring the accelerating role of storage in the energy transition.
In 2025, the market expanded by 48% year-on-year, rebounding from a slower 2024 and entering a new phase of growth driven by utility-scale deployment.
European Battery Market Outlook 2026-2030
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Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe (she/her), said: “Europe’s battery market is moving in the right direction, but we are not yet where we need to be. The EU has rightly recognised this with its 200 GW storage target for 2030, but delivering on that ambition will require much faster progress. As renewables grow, battery storage will play a central role in enabling a flexible, secure, resilient and affordable energy system. Now we need to make sure the right policy framework is in place so this market can grow at the speed and scale required.”
The market’s growth in 2025 was powered by a clear shift toward utility-scale battery storage, which delivered more than half of new installations for the first time. This expansion reflects rising system flexibility needs, improving business cases supported by revenue stacking, and the rapid development of hybrid solar-plus-storage projects. While residential demand remained subdued, the large-scale segment is now taking the lead in shaping Europe’s storage landscape.
Looking ahead, Europe’s battery storage market is set to accelerate further. Annual installations are expected to exceed 50 GWh in 2026 and continue rising to 138 GWh by 2030, representing a fourfold increase compared to 2025 levels. Within the EU-27, the total battery fleet is projected to grow more than sixfold, reaching around 470 GWh by the end of the decade.
While this growth confirms the strong momentum of the market, it still falls short of the tenfold increase in batteries needed by 2030 in an ideal scenario. It also remains below the 600 GWh modelled by SolarPower Europe under our Solar+ report, required to align with EU’s energy security, competitiveness and decarbonisation objectives.
To unlock the next phase of growth, SolarPower Europe calls on EU policymakers to adopt a dedicated Battery Storage Action Plan, setting out a clear pathway to scale deployment and integrate storage into Europe’s energy system.
In particular, the Action Plan should focus on:
- Removing barriers to permitting and grid access, by streamlining permitting and grid connections for battery storage, including retrofits and hybrid projects, particularly in congestion areas.
- Ensuring markets are designed to reward battery storage, through full, non‑discriminatory access to electricity markets and proper valuation of flexibility and system services.
- Providing clear, stable and bankable investment conditions, including fair grid tariff treatment, the removal of double charging, and greater harmonisation of rules and standards across Member States.
- Scaling deployment with the support of targeted EU instruments, by leveraging European battery value chains and improving access to finance to de-risk projects coming online.
Sonja Risteska, Head of the Battery Storage Europe Platform (she/her), said: “Battery storage is increasingly proving its value as a system solution, especially in times of crisis. Ukraine’s emergence as one of Europe’s top five battery markets is a powerful example. Following extensive damage to its power infrastructure, battery storage emerged as a critical asset for maintaining system stability and ensuring reliable electricity supply.
This shows how storage brings resilience, security of supply and flexibility to our energy systems, and why scaling these solutions across Europe is essential for our energy independence and security.”
Europe’s battery market is diversifying in its expansion. Germany, the UK and Italy remained the largest markets in 2025, however emerging markets are expanding fast, with Ukraine and Bulgaria entering the top five. This trend highlights the broadening of deployment across the continent and the growing importance of battery storage for energy security and system resilience.
By 2030, utility-scale batteries are expected to form the backbone of Europe’s storage fleet, accounting for the majority of installed capacity with a total share of 75% and playing a central role in integrating renewable energy and stabilising the power system. As the market continues to expand, ensuring the right policy framework will be critical to unlocking its full potential.
Notes
- The Press Kit including graphs can be accessed here
- The European Battery Market Outlook is launched annually at ees Europe (The smart E Europe).
- In this year’s European Battery Market Outlook, the Europe region refers to the EU-27 + the UK + Switzerland + Ukraine +Turkey. The ‘Solar+: An EU pathway to achieve renewable targets, price affordability, and energy security’ report published in May 2026 provides a scenario‑based analysis of Europe’s power system to 2030, comparing a business‑as‑usual trajectory with a higher‑ambition pathway centred on solar, storage, and electrification.
About SolarPower Europe
SolarPower Europe is the award-winning link between policymakers and the solar PV value chain. Our mission is to ensure solar becomes Europe’s leading energy source by 2030. As the member-led association for the European solar PV sector, SolarPower Europe represents over 320 organisations across the entire solar sector. With solar sitting on the horizon of unprecedented expansion, we work together with our members to create the necessary regulatory and business environment to take solar to the next level.
About The smarter E Europe
“Accelerating Integrated Energy Solutions” – this is the goal of The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry. The aim is to create a safe and future-oriented energy world by shining a spotlight on renewable energies, decentralization and digitalization as well as cross-industry solutions from the electricity, heat and transport sectors for a sustainable 24/7 energy supply.
Spanning four exhibitions, The smarter E Europe brings together key players from around the world and puts the spotlight on the latest market developments, trends, technologies, and business opportunities. The four exhibitions will take place from June 23–25, 2026, at Messe München.
- Intersolar Europe – The world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry
- ees Europe – Europe's largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems
- Power2Drive Europe – The international exhibition for charging infrastructure and e-mobility
- EM-Power Europe – The international exhibition for energy management and integrated energy solutions
The smarter E Europe is organized by Solar Promotion GmbH and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM).
Questions? Get in touch.
Adrien Rodrigues
Press and Policy Communications Manager
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