French battery manufacturer Saft has begun high volume production of its lithium-ion batteries to tap into expected growth in Germany’s domestic PV storage market.
Saft’s battery technology is used in the BPT-S 5 Hybrid storage unit launched by Bosch last year, which is now being produced in quantity for the German market.
In May the German government introduced a subsidy for domestic-scale PV storage systems aimed at promoting self-consumption of solar power, and this is expected to kick start growth in the country's domestic storage market.
The Bosch BPT-S 5 Hybrid system is designed to promote the self-consumption of PV-generated electricity by making it available when it is needed, not just at peak production times.
According to Saft, the system will enable a typical four-person household to achieve a self-consumption rate of 80% of the PV electricity it generates.
Germany’s storage subsidy is worth €25 million this year and offers a 30% subsidy for systems up to 30kW. Saft estimates the market potential to be up to 10,000 systems, although PV Tech understands that applications for the subsidy have so far been limited.
