Storage projects for companies become complicated when the beneficiary changes priorities after signing the contract. It is better for the supplier to know them from the start, including those that concern the grid, said Sebastian Babu, National Sales Manager at KSTAR New Energy, at the Leaders in Energy Transition North-West Region conference, an event organised by Energynomics.

“If a few years ago we talked about how much a photovoltaic system produces, the market has changed now. Every consumer wants to optimise their photovoltaic energy production, and this is where storage comes in,” explained Sebastian Babu.

The solution is built on site

KSTAR is a Chinese manufacturer of storage solutions and electric vehicle charging stations, which, according to Babu, produces everything in-house, including its own software platform. In Romania it works with a sales team and a technical team. “We go to the beneficiaries’ locations, where we optimise the technical solution so that it covers everything they need.” The need may be ensuring the energy required at peak consumption at a factory, or responding to power outages at a tourist resort.

The most concrete part of Sebastian Babu’s address highlighted the typical path that comes with the greatest complications: a customer initially wants 1 MW of storage, signs and orders the equipment, then realises they also want backup, and after that trading as well. His conclusion: “You have to know the beneficiary’s needs from the start.”

Babu, however, extended the notion of beneficiary beyond the owner of the battery. “When I say needs and beneficiary, I do not necessarily mean only the one who uses the battery, but also the grid and anything that appears along the whole energy chain.”

Leaders in Energy Transition North-West Region was organised by Energynomics, with the support of our partners: Elektra Renewable Support, Big Store, Electroalfa, ELNOS, EnergoBit, KSTAR, MBK Power Energy, SAJ Electric. Strategic partners ALEA, FREE, SAMER.