Approximately 50% of photovoltaic projects in Romania are already hybridized or in the process of being hybridized, a sign that the integration of storage solutions is becoming a standard component in the development of renewable energy generation capacity, said Andrei Manea, executive director of the Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA).
“Photovoltaic parks are now being designed in an integrated manner, with storage solutions included from the very beginning. This represents a significant paradigm shift in the industry,” said Manea at the “Cell to Revenue: Strategy & Investment Outlook” conference, organized by Energynomics with the support of SolarToday Romania, Jinko ESS, Power Konnekt, and Sinexcel.
He noted that this trend is already evident in the design phase of new wind farms, driven by the growing need for flexibility in the energy system and the increasing share of renewable energy.
The accelerated development of these projects comes at a time when Romania still faces a major storage capacity deficit. Currently, approximately 1.5 GW is installed, including contributions from prosumers, but the actual need is estimated at around 10 GW by 2030 to support the integration of new renewable capacities.
In this context, both stand-alone storage projects and those integrated into solar farms are expected to grow significantly in the coming period. Interest is also being driven by the banking sector, which is increasingly financing such investments as confidence in the economic viability of these projects grows.
At the same time, European funds earmarked for energy storage could help accelerate the market’s development, even if their impact will be limited relative to the total investment needed, Manea added.
In this context, Andrei Manea announced that RPIA has already decided on a rebranding: “We have rebranded,” he said, “and we will be launching under a new name. We will be the Romanian Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Association.”
The “Cell to Revenue: Strategy & Investment Outlook” conference was organized by Energynomics, with support from sponsors SolarToday Romania, Jinko ESS, Power Konnekt, and Sinexcel.