ESS system sizes have not steadily increased in the same way PV system sizes did
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ESS system sizes have not steadily increased in the same way PV system sizes did

ESS system sizes have not steadily increased in the same way PV system sizes did.

The often-presented chart of PV sizes shows a steady march of 1.5kW making way for 2kW then 3kW, 5kW, and 6.6kW. That march is now moving to 10-13kW systems.

 

But battery sizes aren’t following the same inexorable rise. Average system sizes have oscillated, and 2023 was another year where batteries got smaller.

 

What’s driving this?

  1. Continual experimentation by battery retailers, aiming to discover customer preferences, which themselves are rapidly evolving in this nascent market.
  2. Another driver is brand-specific: brand availability can be a factor, as can relative pricing, and changing consumer brand preferences.
  3. Relative fortunes of battery market segments, including states and retrofit rates. The rising rate of battery retrofit to pre-existing, unchanged PV would have predicted an increase in average battery size, but for the emergence of 5kWh retrofit batteries. At the other end of the spectrum, we’re seeing a growing number of 20+kWh installations, particularly when installed concurrently with PV.

 

Much more information on ESS system size trends and segments is contained in the 2024 SunWiz Annual Battery Market Report. See https://www.sunwiz.com.au/battery-market-report-australia-2024/ to download a sample.