As new installations hit regulatory limits for grid absorption, the new energy sector is pressuring the reconstruction of photovoltaic energy storage configurations. Under the dual impetus of carbon reduction targets and electricity market reform, the new energy industry is undergoing unprecedented changes. Recently, Luo Xiao, the South China Business Development Manager at Trina Solar, delivered an in-depth analysis on how photovoltaic storage technology is reshaping the energy landscape during a presentation titled “Innovation in Photovoltaic Storage Leading the Rapid Development of New Energy in the Era of Marketization.” His insights revealed key pathways for breakthrough developments in the industry and offered a glimpse into the future direction of the new energy sector.
Market Reform Drives Efficiency Improvement
2025 is set to be a pivotal year for the development of new energy. According to the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of New Energy Storage,” China aims to promote the large-scale application of pumped storage and new energy storage, with a target of exceeding 1.2 billion kilowatts of installed wind and solar capacity by 2030, and non-fossil energy consumption accounting for 25% of total energy consumption. Concurrently, the “Action Plan for Optimizing Power System Regulation (2025-2027)” mandates that energy storage technology must support the annual absorption of an additional 200 million kilowatts of new energy, ensuring that national utilization rates for new energy remain above 90%.
With the increasing share of new energy in the power system, the demand for energy storage has significantly risen. A recent directive from two ministries confirmed that wind and solar power would fully enter the electricity market, shifting revenue for power stations from guaranteed fixed prices to market transactions supplemented by price differentials and ancillary service fees. This shift will compel new energy companies to focus on effective integration of source, grid, load, and storage while exploring the coupling of grid support and power regulation.
Under the new regulations, energy storage stations will serve as crucial anchors balancing wind and solar absorption and power dispatch, evolving from “optional auxiliary” to “essential infrastructure,” thereby becoming a core support element for the flexibility of the power system.
Smart Technology Addresses Three Major Energy Transition Challenges
Despite the promising outlook, the development of new energy still faces challenges, including absorption difficulties, low returns, and safety concerns. Luo noted that Trina Solar’s “integrated photovoltaic storage” solutions address three critical pain points: poor electricity safety, low investment returns, and difficult after-sales service, leading to innovations in technology, scenarios, and business models:
- Safety First: Ensuring Longevity and Reliability
Addressing issues of cell consistency and thermal runaway risks, Trina has introduced the A-grade superior cell with a cycle life exceeding 12,000 times. This new generation of flexible liquid-cooled battery systems, Elementa, and Potentia, offers excellent performance and lower cost per kilowatt-hour, supported by multi-tier safety protections, authoritative certifications, and real-world testing for a comprehensive safety assurance across the entire process from production to delivery and operation.
- Intelligent Efficiency: Redefining Revenue Models
Establishing a flexible and efficient market-based pricing mechanism is crucial for achieving integrated energy solutions. By implementing smart energy storage strategies during periods of surplus electricity and releasing clean power during peak load times, this approach effectively balances the dynamic supply-demand relationship between users and generators, and reshapes the collaborative value between photovoltaic systems and energy storage through market-driven price signals.
- Scenario Adaptation: Meeting Diverse Needs
From island microgrids to urban integrated photovoltaic storage systems and solutions for extreme temperatures to green data centers, Trina’s modular designs support seamless transitions between on-grid and off-grid scenarios, catering to the full spectrum of distributed energy and emergency power supply needs. As a leading global provider of energy storage products and systems solutions, Trina Solar offers customized local solutions worldwide, providing comprehensive support from system design to installation.
Innovation and Technological Breakthroughs: A Dual Drive Towards Sustainable Development
In the journey toward high-quality development in the new energy sector, technological and institutional innovations must advance in tandem to generate new momentum for growth. Trina Solar has validated this path through practical implementations: on the technical front, leveraging core innovations like the A-grade superior cell and four-tier safety alert systems has led to over a 30% efficiency improvement throughout the lifecycle of energy storage systems. On the institutional front, concepts like “shared storage” and “virtual power plants” are breaking traditional boundaries, transforming the absorption of new energy from a passive adjustment to proactive control.
Only by deeply integrating technological iterations with market mechanisms and policy tools can we truly unleash the “green productivity” of new energy. Looking ahead, as the electricity spot market and ancillary services market gradually mature, institutional innovations will further accelerate the commercialization of technology, promoting the transition of new energy from being a “supplementary energy” to a “mainstream energy,” ultimately achieving systemic optimization and sustainable development of the energy landscape.
