Solar-Plus-Storage 101
This blog post will explain the terminology around solar-plus-storage, how many solar-plus-storage systems are in the country, and what they cost.
For solar-plus-storage—the pairing of solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage technologies—NREL researchers study and quantify the unique economic and grid benefits reaped by distributed and utility-scale systems. Much of NREL's current energy storage research is informing solar-plus-storage analysis.
Solar-plus-storage shifts some of the solar system's output to evening and night hours and provides other grid benefits. NREL employs a variety of analysis approaches to understand the factors that influence solar-plus-storage deployment and how solar-plus-storage will affect energy systems.
Ember estimates that if half of daytime solar generation is shifted to nighttime, the $65/MWh storage cost adds about $33/MWh to the cost of solar electricity. With the global average price of solar at $43/MWh in 2024, adding storage would bring the total cost to about $76/MWh, delivering power in a way that better matches real demand.
Adding 19 GW of solar and 6.2 GW of storage since 2019 helped keep the lights on – an 800% increase in solar and 5,500% increase in battery storage over that period. Solar-plus-storage is solving demand growth by providing reliable power when the grid needs it most – during peak hours.
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