Batteries Can Shift India's Solar Gains Into The Evening
COAL & MINING

Batteries Can Shift India's Solar Gains Into The Evening

India's expanding solar fleet has cut coal use during daylight hours but evening demand keeps fossil generation running, Ember found. The think tank said battery storage can capture surplus solar in the day and release it in the evening, enabling cheap daytime solar to meet later demand and reducing pressure on coal-fired power. Kostantsa Rangelova, global electricity analyst at Ember, described this as a next step.

Ember said batteries can also limit renewable curtailment, improve utilisation of existing solar capacity and add system flexibility, but benefits will rely on continued deployment and market reforms that allow storage to access energy and ancillary service markets. The report noted that lithium iron phosphate batteries helped transform costs, with global average installed costs falling 95 per cent from $2,634 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2010 to $140 per kWh in 2025.

Solar reached a record share globally, generating just over 10 per cent of electricity in the first half of 2026, up from eight point nine per cent in the same period of 2025 and five point six per cent in 2023. Global solar output rose from 769 terawatt hours (TWh) in the first half of 2023 to 1,564 TWh in the first half of 2026 while total generation grew by 12 per cent.

Ember estimated global battery additions could reach 459 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2026, up 50 per cent from 307 GWh in 2025, and said that if new batteries were used to shift solar they could theoretically move 34 per cent of new daily solar generation into non-sunny hours. The think tank cautioned this was a theoretical ceiling because many batteries are underutilised.

California, Chile and Bulgaria showed that batteries can supply sizeable evening demand, raising evening shares in some markets substantially. Ember said India's transition will depend on shifting renewables into the evening.

India's expanding solar fleet has cut coal use during daylight hours but evening demand keeps fossil generation running, Ember found. The think tank said battery storage can capture surplus solar in the day and release it in the evening, enabling cheap daytime solar to meet later demand and reducing pressure on coal-fired power. Kostantsa Rangelova, global electricity analyst at Ember, described this as a next step. Ember said batteries can also limit renewable curtailment, improve utilisation of existing solar capacity and add system flexibility, but benefits will rely on continued deployment and market reforms that allow storage to access energy and ancillary service markets. The report noted that lithium iron phosphate batteries helped transform costs, with global average installed costs falling 95 per cent from $2,634 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2010 to $140 per kWh in 2025. Solar reached a record share globally, generating just over 10 per cent of electricity in the first half of 2026, up from eight point nine per cent in the same period of 2025 and five point six per cent in 2023. Global solar output rose from 769 terawatt hours (TWh) in the first half of 2023 to 1,564 TWh in the first half of 2026 while total generation grew by 12 per cent. Ember estimated global battery additions could reach 459 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2026, up 50 per cent from 307 GWh in 2025, and said that if new batteries were used to shift solar they could theoretically move 34 per cent of new daily solar generation into non-sunny hours. The think tank cautioned this was a theoretical ceiling because many batteries are underutilised. California, Chile and Bulgaria showed that batteries can supply sizeable evening demand, raising evening shares in some markets substantially. Ember said India's transition will depend on shifting renewables into the evening.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Real Estate

Anshul Singhal launches Vantrock with Rs 42 billion development plan

Real estate professional Anshul Singhal has launched Vantrock Real Assets Private Limited (VRAPL), a Mumbai-headquartered platform focused initially on warehousing, industrial and logistics parks. The company plans to develop approximately 11.5 million sq ft of assets, with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of Rs 42 billion (approximately USD 434 million) on completion.The first phase will cover around 3 million sq ft across the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Pune, with an estimated development value of Rs 11 billion (approximately USD 113 million). Construction is sched..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Afcons wins CII award for biodiversity management

Afcons Infrastructure has received the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Award for Environmental Best Practices 2026 in the Biodiversity Management category for its work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project’s C-2 package.The award was presented at a ceremony in Chennai on 9 October 2026. It was received by Mihir Mishra, Vice-President, CPE, and Sumon Paul, Assistant General Manager, HSE, along with the Afcons team.The project adopted several resource recovery and waste management practices. These included recycling concrete washout waste to recover sand, aggregates a..

Next Story
Technology

Indian businesses lead globally in planned AI investment, says Autodesk

Indian organisations are moving towards deeper integration of artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and sustainability into business operations, according to Autodesk’s 2026 State of Design & Make report. The fourth edition of the annual study highlights growing AI adoption, measurable outcomes from digital transformation and the role of sustainability in long-term business growth.The report found that 64 per cent of Indian organisations are approaching or have achieved their current AI goals. While 88 per cent believe AI will enhance their industry, up from 78 per cent in 2..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code