Saft looks set to cash in on the growth in the German photovoltaic market as Bosch mass-produces the BPT-S 5 Hybrid energy management and storage system, containing Saft’s lithium-ion batteries.
Although the Bosch hybrid system was launched in 2012, it is now being delivered in volume to capitalise on incentives offered by the German government for the combined installation of PV panels with energy storage systems.
The batteries will be supplied with a capacity ranging from 4.4 to 13.2 kWh in five different sized models of the system.
The home storage market is expected to boom because the German Federal Ministry for the Environment is offering subsidies worth €25 million until the end of the year for eligible, certified decentralised battery storage systems supporting an on-grid PV system. The incentives are expected to lead to the installation of 8 – 10 000 new systems.
The system is the first to integrate a solar inverter and an energy management system with advanced lithium-ion batteries. Combining battery storage means solar systems can continue to be used when there is no direct sunlight. A typical four-person household could achieve self-consumption rates of 80% or more.
