21.08.2026
The battery energy storage system (BESS) market in Poland and Western Europe has evolved from pilot projects to a full-fledged element of the energy infrastructure in recent years. Today, BESS are increasingly integrated with photovoltaic installations in the industrial and commercial segment (C&I), and are also used to optimize energy consumption, manage load and provide backup power.
For Ukrainian investors, EPC companies and solar power plant owners, European experience is of particular practical importance. The Ukrainian market operates in conditions of grid instability, military risks, emergency outages and limited availability of electricity supply. Therefore, the experience of using BESS in Europe can be a useful guideline for the design and development of energy solutions in Ukraine.
The material is prepared based on current market trends and practical experience of Livoltek, whose energy storage systems are operated in Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and Norway.
Key trends
The C&I segment today faces high and unstable electricity prices, the need to limit peak power consumption (peak shaving), restrictions on connection capacity, as well as the growing role of DSR (Demand Side Response) programs and the zero export regime.
One of the solutions is the integration of an energy storage system with a photovoltaic installation and an energy management system (EMS). This configuration allows you to simultaneously increase the share of your own electricity consumption, reduce peak load (peak shaving), participate in DSR programs, control the transmission of electricity to the grid in zero export mode and provide backup power for critical loads.
In Poland, regulatory requirements for energy storage systems are changing, in particular regarding their parameters, accounting and reporting to the URE (Energy Regulatory Authority). This indicates the gradual integration of storage systems into the structure of the Polish energy market and their increasing importance for the functioning of the energy system.
Key customer segments
The main demand is concentrated in four key segments: owners of solar power plants, for whom overcoming connection restrictions and Zero Export solutions are important; industrial enterprises using storage for peak shaving and increasing energy independence in conditions of unstable prices; commercial and logistics facilities, where storage systems perform the functions of an energy buffer and backup power supply; as well as investors in utility-scale projects.
The energy storage system is gradually ceasing to be an additional element of a PV project. For an increasing number of projects, it is becoming an integral part of the energy system and an important factor in their economic efficiency from the first day of operation.
BESS in practice
Typical BESS application scenarios include maximizing self-consumption of electricity generated by a solar power plant, reducing peak load (peak shaving) and, accordingly, costs for ordered capacity, participating in DSR programs to generate additional income, as well as operating in Zero Export mode according to the requirements of the distribution system operator (DSO). Another important scenario is backup power in a hybrid on-grid/off-grid configuration.
A case study from Poland is a 2.09 MWh storage system integrated with a 1 MW solar power plant. It simultaneously helps to minimize the effects of restrictions imposed by the grid operator and optimize the sale of electricity depending on current market prices.
System stability, RES integration and grid flexibility
The energy storage system allows to separate the moment of electricity production and the moment of its consumption, which helps to partially overcome the restrictions on connection without the need for multi-year expansion of the grid infrastructure. System operators are increasingly considering distributed energy storage systems as a resource of flexibility, which allows to balance the load and generation at the local level.
In the European context, and especially in Ukraine, BESSgradually ceases to be just a cost optimization tool. It becomes an important element of the energy sustainability, security and independence of the facility.
The hybrid on-grid/off-grid mode with the integration of the generator and the Transfer Switch cabinet ensures the continuity of the facility’s operation regardless of the state of the external network. In Ukrainian conditions, this is no longer a premium feature, but one of the key requirements for a reliable energy system.
Business models developing in Europe
The European market is gradually moving away from a single universal model of using storage devices in favor of several parallel approaches. Among them are self-consumption, i.e. maximizing the consumption of one’s own electricity; peak shaving as a cost reduction tool with a clearly calculated ROI; price arbitrage (Time-of-Use), which is optimized using algorithmic IEMS systems; service models for network operators (DSR, system services); as well as hybrid models that combine cost-effectiveness with backup power.
Modern EMS systems allow you to combine several functions within a single investment. This increases the efficiency of the storage system and reduces its payback period.
Conclusions for Ukraine
First, a storage system designed solely to reduce costs may quickly prove insufficient. Multifunctionality, built into the design stage, allows you to maintain system flexibility and adapt it to future regulatory changes.
Second, integration with EMS/IEMS is a condition for effective system operation, not an additional option. It is the control algorithms that make it possible to simultaneously implement several scenarios for using the storage device and use its resource as efficiently as possible.
Thirdly, in conditions of unstable network operation, backup power and hybrid on-grid/off-grid mode should be considered as basic design requirements. This is confirmed by Ukrainian BESS projects integrated with generators that ensure the continuity of enterprise operations even during power outages. Fourthly, the safety of the installation – electrical protection, fire protection systems and appropriate certification – are real risk factors, not a formality. Fifthly, the manufacturer’s practical experience in implementing projects in conditions close to Ukrainian ones is often of greater value than the technical documentation itself. It is the experience of operation in real conditions that makes it possible to assess the reliability of the system and the manufacturer’s ability to adapt the solution to the specifics of a particular facility.
Manufacturers’ view
“Manufacturers operating simultaneously in the Polish and Ukrainian markets, in particular Livoltek, form their strategy based on the experience gained in different market and network conditions. This allows them to design solutions adapted to different features of the energy infrastructure and climate. The portfolio includes both compact All-in-One hybrid systems for small C&I facilities and scalable utility-scale solutions designed for extended peak shaving and participation in DSR programs.”
One of the key areas of development is the openness of communication interfaces that ensure the integration of BESS with the investor’s existing SCADA and BMS infrastructure. For the Ukrainian market, this means access to technologies already tested in European conditions, with appropriate IEC certification and technical support, which allows implementing solutions without the need to build all the necessary competencies from scratch.
