Energy storage passes 100 GW a year: what BNEF’s 2026 outlook means for PCS and battery-system makers

#The numbers

BloombergNEF’s Energy Storage Market Outlook for the first half of 2026 confirms that storage has entered the 100-gigawatt era.

The forecast for 2026 was raised from 123 GW / 360 GWh in January. Utility-scale projects made up about 85 % of 2025 additions, mostly for shifting energy across the day. By 2036, BNEF expects annual additions above 300 GW.

National data point the same way: the United States installed a record 20.2 GWh in the second quarter of 2026 and 30.8 GWh in the first half (SEIA).

#Three shifts behind the numbers

Storage now follows solar closely. In 2016 the world added 56 MW of solar for every megawatt of batteries. In 2025 the ratio was 6 to 1, and BNEF expects 4 to 1 in 2026. New solar increasingly comes with storage built in — which changes what inverters and PCS have to do on the grid.

China and the US lead, Australia accelerates. China accounted for 54 % of 2025 additions and the US for 16 %. Australia’s deployments grew almost sixfold, driven by home batteries and grid-scale projects.

Chemistry is starting to diversify. Lithium iron phosphate holds more than 90 % of new capacity. Sodium-ion is expected to gain share in stationary storage as costs fall with scale — CATL and HyperStrong signed a three-year, 60 GWh sodium-ion agreement in April 2026. Storage of six hours or more is expected to quadruple to 2 GW in 2026.

BNEF sees only limited direct impact of the Iran war on storage so far: higher fuel prices can widen intraday power spreads and lift storage revenues, while shipping and equipment costs rise.

#What it means for converter and battery-system makers

• Bigger power blocks. Utility-scale projects drive PCS ratings into the multi-megawatt range, and the test lab must be able to run them at full power.
• Grid codes keep tightening. Europe is moving towards grid-forming requirements for larger storage, and Germany’s new VDE-AR-N 4105:2026 sets new frequency, RoCoF and reactive-power rules even for small systems.
• Safety evidence decides tenders. China’s GB 44240-2024, UL 9540 and UL 9540A in North America and IEC 62619 / IEC 62933-5-2 internationally are routinely written into project specifications.
• New chemistries need early alignment. Most battery safety standards were written with lithium-ion in mind. For sodium-ion products, agree the applicable standards and test plan with the certification body before testing starts.

TSINGHU tests storage converters up to 2.5 MW and battery systems against Chinese, European and North American requirements, so one test campaign can cover the markets where storage is growing fastest.