Are battery energy storage systems financially viable?

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have become a crucial element in modern energy markets, providing grid stability, renewable energy integration, and cost optimization. Understanding the financial viability of these systems requires a robust proforma model that accounts for revenue streams, costs, and key financial metrics.

What is a battery energy storage project?

A battery energy storage project is a system that serves a variety of purposes for utilities and other consumers of electricity, including backup power, frequency regulation, and balancing electricity supply with demand.

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.

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).

Is battery storage a good investment?

The economics of battery storage is a complex and evolving field. The declining costs, combined with the potential for significant savings and favorable ROI, make battery storage an increasingly attractive option.

How has the cost of battery storage changed over the past decade?

The cost of battery storage systems has been declining significantly over the past decade. By the beginning of 2023 the price of lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in energy storage, had fallen by about 89% since 2010.