When CPOs consider how to build energy resilience into their network, battery storage is becoming a top line item. As concerns with grid challenges continue, a battery energy storage system (BESS) can provide the needed resiliency CPOs look to establish at their sites to guard against rising energy costs, grid strain, and more.
In a recent industry survey from Driivz, 75% of CPOs said they would invest in on-site battery storage in the year ahead. This is the result of ongoing energy constraints, which is one of the biggest challenges in 2025 for 46% of the EV charging network operators surveyed. What’s more, 90% of respondents expect grid capacity to hinder their growth in the next 12 months, and 100% of respondents noted grid capacity as a barrier to network expansion. With these ongoing challenges to securing the necessary energy to maintain and grow charging networks, on-site battery storage offers a promising solution.
How can local battery storage support CPO’s charging network?
By installing and managing batteries on-site, CPOs can support their charging networks by:
- Supplementing grid supply and establishing energy flexibility
- Optimizing energy costs and a reduction of utility charges
- The ability to integrate and store renewable energy sources at the charging location
Supplement Grid Supply & Establish Energy Flexibility
As grid demand continues to cause constraints, the ability to supplement energy from on-site storage provides CPOs with the tools to establish energy flexibility and resilience. According to an analysis by ICF that was published in 2024, U.S. electricity demand is expected to grow by 25% by 2030 and by 78% by 2050, compared to that of demand in 2023. Meanwhile in Europe, while power consumption has generally stagnated in recent years, the emergence of new technologies looking to be connected to the grid are estimated to now potentially increase energy demand at peak times in the main EU regions by as much as 60% according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. Such growth in energy demand and consumption will impact CPOs ability to deliver stable energy to EV drivers looking for reliable chargers.
With recent studies suggesting that EV drivers are encountering a 78% reliability score when it comes to their experience at charging stations, or one in five charging sessions fail, it’s critical for CPOs to identify ways to build resilience to control energy flow as much as possible. Batteries offer the back-up power needed with grid demand continuing to increase.
Optimize Energy Costs & Reduce Utility Charges
With energy costs from the grid varying greatly, storing utility electricity when it’s less expensive and discharging the power to the EV charging site when prices go up is a strategic tactic to keep costs down. Energy costs are increasing globally. In the United States, 2024’s electricity prices for homes and businesses increased 2.44% in just one year. This jump in price also reflects a 22.55% increase from the nationwide average price of electricity from just five years ago. Europe has also seen increasing electricity rates at the start of 2025, where prices rose in the month of January in most major European countries comparable to highest monthly averages since March 2023.
Adding a battery to an EV charging site will allow CPOs the ability to store an excess of available electricity from the grid. By charging the BESS when electricity rates are lower, or the off-peak hours, CPOs can store energy to supplement chargers in times of grid instability or heighten prices in order to continue to provide drivers with a reliable charging experience.
Managing electricity expenses at each charging station is necessary if CPOs are to offset costs and improve profitability. Strategically taking energy from the grid, and deploying stored energy while monitoring utility time-of-use rates can manage such expenses.
Easily Integrate Renewable Energy Sources to On-Site Batteries
Battery energy storage systems can incorporate renewable energy sources to further reduce reliance on the grid, reduce energy costs, and also decrease the charging station’s overall environmental footprint with cleaner energy sources. Solar is one of the most popular renewable energy sources being installed at EV stations. With the ability to install photovoltaic (PV) technology on rooftops or on nearby land, solar can easily be paired with the BESS to store converted sunlight into electricity that is quickly accessible.
Various public charging infrastructure initiatives are testing solar-only EV charging stations as a result. In the state of North Carolina for example, three solar-powered charging stations are now available in the city of Raleigh for EV drivers to utilize. Market demand for such solar-powered EV charging stations is expected to grow in the coming years, due to both the increase in electricity costs and the increase in electric vehicles on the road.
Charging hardware companies continue to take note of the advantages in solar-powered charging ports as well. Just recently, one charging hardware manufacturer launched a prefabricated, portable PV-powered EV charging station for the European market. Such hardware technology looks to address the ongoing need of chargers and the need to overcome the limitations of connecting with the grid.
Meeting EV Energy Demands with On-Site Batteries and Energy Management Software
EV charging operators can address grid constraints, optimize charging site reliability, and reduce their reliance on costly peak-hour electricity with the use of on-site battery storage. To truly obtain such benefits, incorporating a smart energy management system is required. These software systems ensure the correct amount of energy gets distributed correctly and efficiently from the battery across the EV charging station and to each driver that utilizes the EV charging ports.
What are the benefits of having energy management systems (EMS) paired with on-site batteries? Smart energy management systems maximize all energy sources, including renewables and local battery storage, to efficiently power the EV charging network. The BESS can operate seamlessly with charging operations when EMS software is included, providing numerous benefits, such as the ability to:
- Collect the needed data on energy usage levels across the charging network
- Control and balance loads in real-time to distribute energy for EV charging according to the criteria assigned to each electric vehicle, from the grid or the BESS.
- Enable load shifting during times of peak demand to renewables and BESSs to reduce costs and alleviate strain on the grid.
- Monitor energy costs to reduce energy drawn from the grid at peak demand to a minimum and replace it with energy stored in the local BESS.
The value stacking of these benefits equates to increased profits for CPOs. To truly unlock the value of any on-site BESS, all assets need to work together optimally to reduce operational costs and build resiliency. On-site battery storage paired with energy management software can achieve this.
