The European Commission summarised ENTSO-E’s Summer Outlook 2026 with two connected findings: solar capacity had risen by more than 90 GW compared with the previous summer, and installed battery capacity had doubled over the same period.
More variable generation increases the need for flexible consumption. Batteries shift electricity to a later time. Controllable thermal storage can absorb local surplus when an electrical battery is full or when storing the next kilowatt-hour as electricity is uneconomic.
Design storage and control as one system
Start with a measured load profile and a realistic photovoltaic-surplus curve. Choose usable storage capacity, charging power and control logic together; buying those three parts separately often produces a system that is large on paper but poorly matched in operation.
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy · source language: English · published: 2026-05-29. This WodaTherm briefing is an original summary, not a copy of the source article.