Europe added nearly 22 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage capacity in 2024, setting a new annual record despite a slowdown in growth, according to the latest European Market Outlook for Battery Storage released by SolarPower Europe.
Total installations reached 21.9GWh for the year, extending the region’s streak of record-setting growth to 11 consecutive years and increasing cumulative installed capacity to 61.1GWh. However, the annual growth rate decelerated to 15%, following three years of capacity additions doubling year-on-year.
“If Europe has already entered the solar age, the battery storage age is just beginning,” said Walburga Hemetsberger, chief executive of SolarPower Europe. “With solar energy mainstreaming across the continent, now is the time for European decisionmakers to put batteries at the centre of a flexible, electrified energy system.”
The report projects that battery installations will rebound in 2025, with a forecasted 29.7GWh in new capacity, representing 36% annual growth. By 2029, Europe is expected to increase its annual additions sixfold to nearly 120GWh, with cumulative capacity forecast to reach 400GWh—334GWh of which will be in the EU-27.
Still, the projected figures fall short of what is needed to meet the flexibility requirements of a renewables-led energy system. The Mission Solar 2040 study estimates the EU-27 will need 780GWh of battery capacity by 2030 to effectively support the clean energy transition.
A shift in market dynamics is also underway. While home battery systems have historically driven Europe’s storage growth, their share is expected to fall to 33% in 2025 as government support schemes subside and residential demand slows. In contrast, utility-scale battery projects are set to dominate installations for the first time next year, while commercial and industrial (C&I) storage is also expected to expand modestly.
“Europe’s solar success has laid the foundation—now battery storage is stepping into its pivotal role,” said Markus Elsaesser, chief executive of Solar Promotion. “With solar power surging across the continent, the need for flexible capacity has never been clearer, and batteries are ready to deliver.”
The report found that five countries were responsible for 78% of the capacity installed in 2024. Germany remained the leading market despite a slowdown in home battery adoption and limited growth in large-scale storage. Italy saw a similar drop in residential uptake, but strong expansion in the utility segment drove overall gains. The UK experienced a temporary dip due to project delays, while Austria and Sweden surpassed the 1GWh threshold for the first time, led by growth in both the residential and C&I sectors.
