The report offers the most comprehensive view yet into how these critical grid assets perform in the real world, from best to worst.
With battery energy storage rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the global energy transition, Accure’s report finds that this power market sector still faces significant operational and financial risks. Drawing on the world’s largest independent battery monitoring database, the report recognises common challenges, identifies high-performance benchmarks achieved by projects that use best practices and advanced technology, and shows where other BESS assets fall short, impacting safety, performance, reliability and financial returns.
Top Findings:
19 percent of BESS hardware components caused operational problems — such as hardware components repeatedly tripping, large imbalances that reduce energy output, and recurring safety alerts that have a direct impact on revenue and reliability.
Best-in-class systems reached round-trip efficiencies above 88 percent, representing more than a third of projects studied. Efficiency declines of even 1–2 percent translate into millions in lost revenues over a project’s lifespan.
Most projects oversized their systems by 15–25 percent, but under- and over-sizing capacity carries financial risks, especially if not aligned with long-term augmentation strategies.
Only 83 percent of projects met or exceeded nameplate capacity during Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), underscoring the importance of using best practices and independent oversight earlier in the design, procurement, and commissioning processes.
Commissioning delays remain widespread, with 1–2 month delays the norm, and a minority of projects missing their online dates by as much as nine months. Delays defer revenue and strain investor confidence.
Battery SOC estimation errors of ±15 percent are common in LFP systems, but projects that use advanced analytics can reduce these errors to ±2 percent, unlocking greater trading flexibility and improved returns.
20 percent of systems only collect low-quality data, compromising reliability and asset value over time.
“Investors and operators deserve better than guesswork. Independent analytics turn hidden faults into actionable insights — protecting revenues and building long-term confidence in storage” said Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, Accure CEO and Co-founder. “This report arms asset owners, operators, and investors with the insights they need to adopt best practices and technology, identify risks early, optimise operations, and hold vendors accountable.”
The report’s findings make clear that while most BESS projects perform reliably, the industry has significant room for improvement. Independent, data-driven monitoring emerges as a crucial tool for mitigating risks, protecting revenues, and building investor confidence in long-term BESS performance.
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