There's good feeling back in the C&I storage market. In conversations with contacts in the Netherlands and Belgium, my sense is that interest is growing and projects are becoming more concrete, an encouraging sign after a difficult period for the solar sector. And the flow of suppliers approaching the market is growing just as fast. Many arrive from China with serious financial backing, competitive products and ambitious sales plans. But what they haven‘t brought with them is a working knowledge of local requirements, or a technical team able to explain precisely what their own system can and cannot do.
Buyers are learning too. An experienced solar installer will not automatically be an experienced storage integrator. When both sides struggle to assess the technical differences, price becomes the easiest subject to discuss. Yet what actually separates two offers may be who takes responsibility once the cabinet has been delivered.
Direct sales redistribute responsibility
In the parts of the market I work in, the thinning of the distribution network is encouraging manufacturers to find their own route to installers and EPCs. The value of an individual C&I system also makes direct sales commercially attractive. That model can work well, but it needs a clear division of labour. A capable distributor can qualify products, train installers, hold stock and spare parts, and coordinate technical support and warranty claims – functions that still need doing once the intermediary disappears.
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Unless the manufacturer provides these services directly, the installer or EPC may inherit them. A company that believed it was buying equipment can find itself troubleshooting unfamiliar controls and persuading several suppliers to resolve a fault, while its customer still expects it to get the installation running. That is a substantial change in the job being accepted, and it needs understanding, resourcing and a place in the commercial agreement before the first order goes in.
Prove the handover before placing the order
I would start with the proposed energy management system. Has that precise combination of battery, power conversion system and EMS been tested? And who will configure it, demonstrate that it follows the site's operating limits, and resolve conflicting alarms or commands? A statement that a cabinet supports a communication protocol does not answer those questions.
Documentation needs the same attention. Buyers should check that declarations of conformity and test reports cover the actual equipment being supplied. There are already local requirements: Belgium's Synergrid C10/11 framework and C10/26 equipment homologation are relevant to battery inverters operating in parallel with the distribution grid, while in the Netherlands, PGS 37-1 provides safety guidance for lithium-based storage systems. Buyers need to assess how each applies to their own installation. Neither a sales brochure nor a generic claim of European certification settles the question.
Then ask the supplier to explain how the first fault will be handled. Which local technician can attend? Where are the replacement parts? Who authorises a repair, and who pays for labour and travel? Is commissioning included, with a named team and an agreed acceptance procedure? A warranty promising replacement hardware can still leave the installer with substantial work and expense. These are also questions for the buyer's own organisation. Training, a competent technical partner and a properly supported first installation are sensible investments before committing to volume.
Set the terms before paying
Where a supplier asks for 100% payment before shipment, the buyer commits its money before seeing the system operate at the customer's site. That makes the counterparty, delivery scope and acceptance arrangements particularly important. Payment milestones linked to verifiable progress deserve to be part of the negotiation. A friendly sales relationship helps, but it is a poor substitute for a defined escalation route and a service commitment. When a replacement part or an engineer has to come from China, China is a long way away. The customer experiences that distance as downtime.
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I have worked with Chinese manufacturers for many years and see how productive these relationships can be. The strongest partnerships make local support explicit from the start. A large marketing budget should be accompanied by people who can commission, diagnose and repair the equipment.
Give local suppliers a fair comparison
In the earlier years of solar, many buyers felt more comfortable with familiar European manufacturers. The later Minimum Import Price regime also influenced competition and purchasing decisions. We should remember the value buyers placed on proximity. That does not mean the old market structure can simply be recreated. For an installer with little experience of direct importing, a European manufacturer or an established local integrator deserves a place on the shortlist. A higher purchase price may include engineering and service capacity that the buyer would otherwise have to organise itself.
The useful comparison is what each supplier can deliver locally. A European name on an invoice proves little on its own. A Chinese manufacturer with trained local partners, available parts and a clear service contract may offer precisely the support the project needs. Buyers should ask for evidence of that capability.
September supply chain update
The supply chain gives little reason to rush a poorly prepared purchase. InfoLink's assessment for 17–23 September found European PV module prices broadly stable. Its benchmark for Chinese-made TOPCon modules for European projects averaged USD 0.119/W on an FOB basis. This is a shipment-price benchmark, before ocean freight and European delivery costs, rather than a local installed price. BESS prices also showed relative stability. On 23 September, InfoLink put Chinese 280 Ah and 314 Ah LFP storage cells at an average RMB 0.365/Wh, including VAT, unchanged on the week. Battery-grade lithium carbonate rose 1.5% to RMB 132,000 per tonne, but cell and system prices had not followed it upwards. Raw material movement should therefore not be treated as an automatic change in a cabinet quotation.
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Shipping still requires care. Drewry's 17 September assessment put Shanghai–Rotterdam spot freight at USD 3,626 per 40-foot container, down 9% in a week, while reporting more cancelled sailings and longer waits in Shanghai. A general container benchmark is not a battery freight quotation. Buyers should confirm the actual booking and delivery schedule. There is also a known deadline ahead. China's remaining 6% VAT export rebate for the battery products covered by its announcement ends on 1 January 2027; the export date on the customs declaration determines the applicable treatment. That gives buyers a reason to clarify production and shipment timing. It does not establish an automatic 6% increase in European selling prices.
Local support belongs in the plan
I welcome the competition entering C&I storage. More suppliers can bring better products and more choice. But sales growth needs to be matched by technical capacity where the equipment will operate. For manufacturers, that means investing in local training, commissioning and service before the order book outgrows the organisation. For installers and EPCs, it means agreeing who performs every essential task before comparing the final prices. The next phase of this market will be judged at customer sites. Winning the order is only the beginning of the supplier's job. (Gerard Scheper/hcn)
