Our recent survey report of BESS professionals brought together responses from 83 experts in 39 organizations operating Battery Energy Storage infrastructure and services. It provided a snapshot of this fast-growing industry’s shared challenges and issues. It excluded one group though: the smaller set of experts from organizations that do not currently operate a BESS, but plan to commission one within the next two years.
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In this article we want to share the views of survey respondents from 12 organizations that had not yet deployed a BESS at the time of the survey. While not statistically significant, these organizations face a unique set of considerations and challenges in the early stages of project development. Their perspectives offer valuable insights into the priorities and decision-making factors shaping the future of BESS adoption – which is why we’re sharing the results separately.
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Let’s take a look at this smaller dataset.
As you would expect from a new operator, most planned projects were modest in scale, with five of the twelve looking at installations below 50MWh and only one exceeding 2GWh. The majority of respondents work for a BESS owner or operator, though the survey also included responses from EPC, consultancy and financial institutions – often important stakeholders in the BESS commissioning process.
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Unsurprisingly, the responses from these future operators revealed priorities that differed from those of an established BESS operator. Chief among their priorities was securing grid connections to their market and customers. A full quarter of respondents saw this as a top concern.
Close behind, respondents identified major challenges with internal co-ordination and a shortage of qualified talent. These issues are, of course, closely related: securing stakeholder buy-in is crucial for completing a comprehensive and accurate plan. Having a skilled team is essential for executing that plan on schedule. The human factor is critical, as even the best equipped BESS will fail if there aren’t enough qualified people to staff it.
“[A major concern is] stakeholder management and ensuring an efficient commissioning schedule with no scope gaps.” – Survey interviewee
Four respondents each added a different issue, suggesting these issues are lower priorities – but still important. These concerns were: challenges with the regulatory framework, ensuring safety measures at the user’s site, and confusion over differing metrics across countries and documentation requirements.
These concerns differ from those of respondents who already operate a BESS. In the broader survey population, the main focus was on process and business improvement, with 58% citing performance and availability as their top concerns.
A key finding from our broader survey is that BESS technology operates as a “stack”. At the base is the Battery Management System (BMS), with which users rarely interact, but provides essential low-level data. Higher up in the stack, are analytical and predictive software tools. Our survey shows that the more extensively respondents used these advanced tools, the more satisfied they seem to be with their technology. This suggests that the effective use of data and analytics leads to greater business benefits, which is especially important for those planning to commission a BESS in the future.
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Among industry professionals, there is a growing recognition that analytics software does not simply analyze past data but can also predict future outcomes based on current conditions. This unlocks several opportunities for improvement, such as:
For organizations planning to deploy a BESS in the next few years, understanding the role of data is critical for achieving business goals. For example, digital commissioning can supplement traditional on-site commissioning by helping asset owners identify and address potential BESS issues before deployment.
Next, let’s examine common BESS revenue models. Among those preparing to commission a BESS, two-thirds indicated that they plan to participate in merchant operations and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) as primary ways to monetize their investment.
This aligns with the broader findings of our survey. The most common strategies among current operators are to act as energy producers or wholesalers, either trading electricity in energy markets or entering into long-term supply agreements. If you’re planning a BESS, it’s likely you’ll be considering both.
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The choice of O&M strategy also mattered, as did how it might change. Among respondents preparing to commission a BESS three quarters plan to use Long Term Service Agreements (LTSAs) in their projects, while half include third-party O&M contractors in their plans.
This hybrid approach is common, as reflected in the broader survey. 60% of respondents use or act as a third-party O&M contractor and have LTSAs with integrators. Importantly, our 1:1 interviews suggested that O&M strategies are changing. While operators initially relied on third-party providers, they plan to bring O&M work inhouse over time, perhaps as their own teams gain experience and expertise.
Finally, let’s consider the level of expertise in the BESS industry. Due to the industry’s rapid growth, most professionals are relatively new to the field. In our group of 12 respondents, half had less than two years of BESS-specific experience, and eight had less than five years. Only a quarter reported having more than five years of experience.
This is similar to the broader survey results – not surprising given that BESS is an emerging industry. For new operators, this presents a challenge, since they’re building teams from scratch and competing for limited experienced talent. On the positive side, the BESS industry offers a compelling career path for engineers and technical professionals and suggests that the talent pool will continue to grow as the industry matures.
In less than a decade, BESS has become a viable option for energy storage at scale. Despite ongoing changes in funding models and policy landscape, the global demand for safe and clean energy continues to grow.
All of which is good news for new players planning and building new BESS assets. However, the sector is becoming increasingly competitive, and small differences in financing, technology choices, and operational expertise may mean the difference between profit and loss.
Now is a crucial time for operators to harness the data generated by their assets to drive smarter decisions and more efficient operations.
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In the first session of the TWAICE & Camelot BESS Lifecycle Webinar Series, experts from Camelot Energy Group and TWAICE share hard-won lessons from real-world energy storage projects—helping you get BESS development right from the start.
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