Commercial energy storage
Commercial battery storage systems store surplus electricity from your own photovoltaic system or from the grid and make it available when your business needs it.
For companies with high electricity consumption, commercial storage lowers energy costs, reduces peak loads and improves security of supply.
Conversio Energie plans and installs commercial storage systems for manufacturing businesses, logistics centres, hotels, farms and public facilities throughout Austria. Every system is designed around the business's actual load profile.
How businesses use commercial energy storage
Optimising self-consumption
The PV system generates power during the day, while the business often also consumes electricity in the evening and at night. Storage shifts solar electricity to the hours when it is actually needed. This increases self-consumption and reduces electricity drawn from the grid.
Peak load management (peak shaving)
Many commercial tariffs include a demand component: the higher the maximum power peak during the billing period, the higher the base charge. Storage cuts these peaks by supplying electricity when demand is high and recharging when demand is low.
Backup power supply
Some businesses cannot afford a power outage: cold chains in the food industry, server rooms and production lines with sensitive processes. A commercial storage system with a backup function automatically takes over the power supply when the grid fails.
Optimising grid charges
Targeted control of feed-in and consumption times can reduce grid charges. Combined with a PV system, storage can also be connected to energy communities to distribute surplus electricity within the community.
Typical system sizes
Commercial storage systems differ fundamentally from home storage: they offer larger capacities, higher charging and discharging power, and the option of combining several storage modules into one system (modular design).
| Business type | Typical storage capacity | Typical application |
|---|---|---|
| Small business | 30 to 100 kWh | Self-consumption + peak shaving |
| Medium-sized manufacturing business | 100 to 500 kWh | Peak shaving + backup power |
| Logistics / large businesses | 500 kWh to several MWh | Full supply + grid services |
| Hotels / tourism | 50 to 200 kWh | Self-consumption + backup power for cold chains |
| Agriculture | 30 to 150 kWh | Self-consumption with high daytime demand |
Conversio sizes the storage system based on your business's actual load profile. Oversizing creates unnecessary costs, while undersizing wastes potential savings.
Commercial storage and photovoltaics
Combining a PV system with commercial storage offers the strongest economic benefits when a business has high daytime consumption and the PV system regularly produces surplus electricity. Storage ensures that as much of the generated electricity as possible is used within the business instead of being fed into the grid at a lower tariff.
Conversio plans the PV system and storage as an integrated system: inverter, storage capacity and feed-in management are coordinated. For businesses that already have a PV system, we assess whether and how storage can be added.
Commercial storage subsidies in Austria
Funding opportunities for commercial electricity storage are available at federal and regional level in Austria. Grant amounts, conditions and application procedures change regularly. During your consultation, Conversio will explain which programmes are available at the time of your project and assist with the application.
Frequently asked questions
At what business size does commercial storage become worthwhile?
Commercial storage is generally worthwhile from an annual electricity consumption of around 50,000 kWh, with an existing or planned PV system. The load profile is decisive: businesses with steady daytime consumption and regular PV surpluses benefit most. Conversio assesses your load profile and gives an honest appraisal of whether storage makes financial sense for your business.
How long does installation take?
Installing a commercial storage system takes between one day and one week, depending on system size and structural conditions. Integration with the existing energy system and commissioning are planned in advance to minimise disruption to ongoing operations.
Can I expand the storage system later?
Yes, if the system has a modular design. Additional storage modules can be added to modular commercial systems as demand increases. Conversio takes future expansion into account during the initial planning.
Does commercial storage work without a PV system?
In principle, yes. Storage can also be used solely for peak load management, backup power or grid charge optimisation. In practice, however, the economic benefits are considerably greater when storage is combined with your own PV system.