Batteries drive solar-to-anytime shift
Ember finds storage costs fall again
The cost of storing daytime solar power for use as anytime electricity has dropped to $65/MWh in 2025, according to new analysis from Ember.
The think tank said utility-scale battery storage costs outside China and the US have continued to fall sharply this year following a steep decline in 2024.
Ember added that its findings draw on recent auction data from Italy, Saudi Arabia and India alongside developer interviews across global markets.
Kostantsa Rangelova, global electricity analyst at Ember, said: “After a 40% fall in 2024 in battery equipment costs, it’s clear we’re on track for another major fall in 2025.”
The research assesses full system costs at $125/kWh for long-duration grid-connected batteries and notes that core equipment delivered from China now costs around 75$/kWh.
Ember stated that lower costs, longer lifetimes, higher efficiencies and clearer revenue models have pushed the levelised cost of storage down sharply.
The think tank said cheaper storage changes how solar can be used because only part of daytime output needs to be shifted to provide dispatchable supply.
Rangelova added: “Solar is no longer just cheap daytime electricity, now it’s anytime dispatchable electricity.”
Ember said falling battery costs unlock more of solar’s potential and provide countries with a scalable and affordable basis for clean power planning.
