New Expectations for Solar and Energy Storage

The global energy transition is creating new opportunities and, at the same time, bringing about new expectations. As manufacturers, developers, investors, and regulators look toward the future of solar and energy storage, the conversation is increasingly focused on topics such as sustainability, traceability, cybersecurity, and product safety.

These themes were front and center at this year's SNEC PV+ Conference & Exhibition in Shanghai, one of the world's largest gatherings for the solar and energy storage industries. The event provided an opportunity to engage with our customers and partners on some of the most significant regulatory and market developments shaping the sector.

“SNEC is widely recognized as one of the largest solar PV and battery exhibitions in the world, bringing together many of the leading players across both industries,” says Evert Vermaut, Team Lead Sustainability at Vinçotte, part of the Kiwa Group. “One of the trends that stood out this year was the growing focus on battery energy storage, particularly smaller and more compact systems for residential applications, alongside the increasing co-location of battery storage with renewable energy installations.”

“One of the biggest changes facing the energy storage industry is the implementation of the EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542),” explains Evert. 

"The regulation introduces new requirements covering areas such as sustainability, carbon footprint reporting, due diligence, battery passports, and end-of-life management. While the legislation is European, its impact is global. Battery passports are intended to improve transparency by providing standardized information about a battery's origin, composition, carbon footprint, and life cycle.”

China remains the world's largest producer and exporter of lithium batteries, making compliance with European requirements a key priority for many manufacturers serving international markets. As battery supply chains become increasingly global, organizations are seeking support for these new requirements while maintaining access to important export markets.

While sustainability requirements are receiving significant attention, they are not the only issue shaping the future of energy storage. Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important consideration for energy storage systems. As battery systems become more connected and digitally integrated, manufacturers and operators must address growing concerns around cyber resilience and product security.

This is particularly relevant as leading global energy storage companies continue to expand their presence in European markets. Regulatory expectations are increasing, and customers are seeking greater assurance that systems are secure, reliable, and compliant.

While new sustainability and cybersecurity requirements are important considerations, safety remains at the core of the energy storage sector. Fire protection, risk management, testing, and certification continue to play a critical role in supporting the safe deployment of battery energy storage systems around the world.

Furthermore, as technologies evolve and projects increase in scale, ensuring safety throughout the product lifecycle remains a priority for manufacturers, developers, investors, and regulators alike.

Ahead of SNEC, Kiwa experts from across the organization gathered in China to discuss these developments with customers and industry stakeholders. The conversations at SNEC highlighted how rapidly the sector is evolving. As battery technologies become more sophisticated and regulatory expectations continue to grow, organizations increasingly require expertise that spans sustainability, cybersecurity, safety, testing, inspection, and certification.

“We need to look at solar and energy storage products through a much broader lens than we did in the past. Sustainability, cybersecurity, safety, and supply chain transparency are all becoming critical considerations. Our role is to help customers demonstrate performance and build trust in a complex regulatory and market environment,” concludes Evert.