Energy storage sector profit margin

Is energy storage a profitable business model?

Although academic analysis finds that business models for energy storage are largely unprofitable, annual deployment of storage capacity is globally on the rise (IEA, 2020). One reason may be generous subsidy support and non-financial drivers like a first-mover advantage (Wood Mackenzie, 2019).

How can energy storage be profitable?

Where a profitable application of energy storage requires saving of costs or deferral of investments, direct mechanisms, such as subsidies and rebates, will be effective. For applications dependent on price arbitrage, the existence and access to variable market prices are essential.

What is the growth rate of industrial energy storage?

Global industrial energy storage is projected to grow 2.6 times, from just over 60 GWh to 167 GWh in 2030. The majority of the growth is due to forklifts (8% CAGR). UPS and data centers show moderate growth (4% CAGR) and telecom backup battery demand shows the lowest growth level (2% CAGR) through 2030. Figure 8.

Does storage capacity improve investment conditions?

Recent deployments of storage capacity confirm the trend for improved investment conditions (U.S. Department of Energy, 2020). For instance, the Imperial Irrigation District in El Centro, California, installed 30 MW of battery storage for Frequency containment, Schedule flexibility, and Black start energy in 2017.

How much does BNEF expect to spend on energy storage?

BNEF expects annual expenditures in this sector will increase 3.5 times, from $8.6 billion in 2020 to $30.1 billion in 2030. Figure 5. Global projected grid-related annual deployments by application (2015–2030) Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance, "2019 Long-Term Energy Storage Outlook," BloombergNEF, New York, 2019.

What is the long-term energy storage outlook for 2019?

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) also looked at the deployment of grid-related applications in its 2019 long-term energy storage outlook , summarized in Figure 5. C&I PV plus storage, often known as hybrid systems, as well as energy-shifting applications, show the most growth over the period.