“We must continue to invest in this part of energy storage, in order to be as energy independent.”says Răzvan Copoiu, executive director of the company Enevo. It refers to high -capacity storage batteries, devices that retain the electricity produced, usually, from renewable sources, and deliver it when the consumption is high or the network is unstable. These systems, used until recently almost exclusively in the industry, become more and more accessible for households.
Energy independence becomes more and more accessible photo kilowat
What was, until recently, only a premium option for companies today becomes a feasible solution and residential consumers. And the need is not an abstract one, but very concrete.
“The idea is that if we have storage, a final consumer can be energy independent. Many people want to not depend on energy. I also have a house in Breaza and, if the current stops, rather than letting go of the generator, I prefer to have a battery to give me the house.
Until 2022–2023, the European Union was strongly focused on green energy. All the big conferences, from Davos, to the annual COP, aimed at the objective of reducing the global temperature by 1.5 ° C. Then, following a report ordered by the European Commission (known as RAI) the speech has changed: the document pointed out that Europe risks losing its economic competitiveness in the face of powers such as the US, China or India, which does not allocate the same resources to combat climate change, according to its statements.
This strategic reassessment has led to the abandonment of the former Green Deal program in favor of the new frame called “Smart Ville”, a set of policies that continue investments, but prioritize energy efficiency, profitability and technological adaptation.
Răzvan Copoiu emphasizes that the transition does not stop, but adjusts: “It is no longer the same focus as a few years ago, when money was put only on renewable. Now the money goes to defense, and infrastructure, but a major component remains the regulation of the energy system, because we already have capabilities. You can not stop them, the parks are there.”
From industry to households: batteries become more and more accessible
The real problem is about the stability of the network. An eloquent example, he says, is Spain, where an overproduction from renewable sources would have triggered, according to some theories, a temporary collapse of the system. “In Spain, one of the theories, I can not say what the truth is, that the final report was not yet given, is that there were so many renewables that the system was unbalanced. He could not balance the big photovoltaic wave. to recover ”explains Răzvan Copoiu.
To prevent such situations, the solution consists of smart storage batteries, devices that absorb energy when it is excessive and release it when consumption is high. In the next 2-4 years, these technologies will become the norm in Europe, for both companies and households. “There will be investments of hundreds of billion euros. It is inevitable. If you want energy stability, you cannot ignore storage”estimates Răzvan Copoiu.
If until recently the batteries were extremely expensive, today they became more accessible.
Why batteries have become accessible only now in Romania
In Europe, the residential segment of storage batteries (for housing) increased spectacularly: in 2024, 57 % of the capacity of 21.9 installed GWH was in housing, with 10.8 GWh put into operation only that year. However, in the same year there was a slowdown: energy prices decreased, and mature (German, Italian) markets entered the stabilization phase.
Although in Western Europe the batteries of energy storage are already an active component of the energy transition, in Romania they are just beginning to appear in commercial offers, including for households. The difference is not only about the economic gap, but also the regional context and the rate of the evolution of public policies.
While Romania began shyly, last year, discussions about high -capacity storage batteries, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom were already over 70% of the newly installed capacity in 2024, according to the “European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2025–2029” report published by Solarpower Europe. In total, Europe has reached a cumulative capacity of 61 GWH, with an increase of over 21.9 GWh only in 2024.
The reason for the fast expansion in other countries was the explosion of energy prices between 2021 and 2023, which transformed the batteries from the option “as if detached from the future” into the necessary economic tool. The increases of more than 130% in non-residential electricity led to the doubling of the capacity installed every year, until 2023. Romania was largely bypassed by these waves of investment, due to lack of information, difficult access to equipment and the absence of a coherent public strategy for storage.
In addition, most of the advanced countries have adapted their legislation early, launched support schemes, and their markets have reached a higher degree of technological maturity and consumer education. In us, such programs (like the Green House) were either oriented exclusively towards panels or blocked in bureaucracy.
At the same time, the SolarPower Europe report points out that without accelerating investments in batteries, Europe risks losing the opportunity to flex their networks and reduce the losses caused by overproduction. The objective of the association is to reach 400 GWh of active storage by 2029, but even in the optimal scenario, the 780 GWH threshold would not be reached to balance the systems and reduce the emissions in line with the Green Deal.
Against this background, the appearance of batteries in the offer of suppliers in Romania is a consequence of external pressures and cheap technology than an internal strategy.
Recently, kilowat, the company of green energy solutions announced that Romania can get an unprecedented advance in the photovoltaic sector this year, driven by financing programs such as the photovoltaic and repower I, the liberalization of energy prices and the increased interest of Romanians to become energy independent. However, this accelerated growth brings to the fore a critical problem: the severe deficit of energy storage capacities, a major obstacle to the entire national energy sector, attracted the attention of the specialists.
“We expect a technological leap on storage batteries in 2025 and also to lower prices for them. Storage becomes the most important problem and is the chapter on which Romania is deficient, but struggling with power to solve this deficit. The entire green energy sector is dependent on this interconnectivity that is done with the storage batteries. Lithium-fierce-fossa, becomes more and more used, being a more performing and much safer technology than lithium-ion regarding the possibility of fires ”, Said, recently, Albert Soare, a kilowat founder.
How can a cyber attack affect the network
However, Bess (Battery Energy Storage Systems) systems become more and more exposed to cyber threats, as a new report published by Aon, a global leader in risk management services.
They point out that the attacks on energy infrastructures are intensified: from the interruption of the remote control of the wind turbines in Germany, to the races in the energy networks in India and Luxembourg. These incidents highlight an increased risk for companies operating in the field of renewable energy and storage, an infrastructure that quickly becomes part of the national critical networks.
“Operational Security (OT) remained as a result of the information (IT). Many of the control systems in the storage plants have not been designed with cyber security measures and are not integrated into the management of the computer risk”, warns the authors of the report.
The vulnerable point is the battery management system (BMS), the component that regulates the charge, temperature and internal protection. If it is compromised, attackers can cause: physical damage (by overheating or overload, fire risk); instability in the network, through controlled imbalances; Large-scale interruptions, especially if the bess is connected to real-time data in the market or frequency adjustment system.
In extreme cases, a cyber attack on an industrial battery can have comparable effects with those of a physical sabotage on the energy network.
Another problem reported in the report: the physical damage caused by cyber attacks is often excluded from classic infrastructure insurance policies. Companies can remain financially unprotected in the case of a major incident.
Education and cyber security
However, in Romania is missing education on the part of energy storage solutions, the specialist also reports. “Many do not know what batteries to choose, how to mount them, what protective equipment to integrate, for example a simple, relatively cheap, but essential firewall.”says Răzvan Copoiu.
Therefore, cyber security becomes crucial: a connected system can be accessed remotely, including outside the EU. This is not a SF scenario, but a real risk. It is not the fault of the prosumor, but the lack of information. It would be useful for a national program supported by distribution companies and producers to educate the population, according to it.
In fact, the batteries have only now appeared on the Romanian market. “Until recently they were too expensive or unavailable. Any technology at first should be checked. And it is not yet verified ”says Răzvan Copoiu.
