Europe’s largest PV energy storage development project initiated

A new Franco-German project, focusing on the development of a new concept in energy conversion and storage for grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, has been launched.

The project, titled SOLION, has been initiated by Saft, Conergy and Tenesol.

SOLION has been recognised by the Eureka/Eurogia and Tenerrdis programmes, and is supported by the French Ministry of Economy Finance and Employment (DGE) and the German Ministry of Environment (BMU). A German utility (E-ON), three German research institutes (ISEA, ISET & ZSW) and one French research institute (INES -CEA) are associated with this project.

The project will introduce large lithium-ion batteries into PV systems on the largest scale ever tested in Europe.

The objective is to develop an integrated energy kit able to be produced on an industrial scale for decentralised on-grid, residential PV systems.

The 75 systems will be deployed in Germany and France. These trials will validate the performance of the system, its economic viability, the added value of energy storage in an on-grid PV system and the benefits for stakeholders.

Storage will enable solar energy to be "time shifted" to periods of peak demand or when there is no sun in order to allow self consumption or grid support. As of now, grid-connected PV systems, without energy storage, are directly fed in.