The Rise of Balcony Solar Storage: Five Types of Companies Competing in a Booming Market

As of this year, the balcony solar energy storage market has gained significant traction, with various companies vying for a share of this emerging sector. Recently, several domestic and international solar energy storage enterprises, including Huayuxin, Maitian Energy, Guruwatt, Anker Innovations, and EcoFlow, have launched new products aimed at the balcony solar energy storage market in Europe, drawing industry attention.

The balcony solar energy storage segment represents a new frontier in distributed energy, which began to gain momentum in 2023 and has rapidly heated up this year. The combination of balcony solar panels, micro inverters, and micro storage makes clean energy accessible to households through various settings, such as balconies, garages, and yards.

This market’s rapid growth is primarily attributed to the increasing demand for small-scale distributed clean energy among households in Europe and the United States, alongside supportive photovoltaic policies in countries like Germany and the Netherlands. According to reports, Germany’s simplified Solarpaket I initiative has led to a substantial increase in balcony photovoltaic capacity, reaching 426 MW in 2024, making it the top in Europe. Other countries such as Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, and various Eastern European nations also show significant potential, while the trend of balcony solar energy storage may extend to regions such as North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Data from QYResearch indicates that the global balcony energy storage market is expected to reach $14.972 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.1% over the next few years.

Five Types of Companies Competing in the Balcony Energy Storage Market

Globally, the balcony energy storage market is characterized by players from several categories, including inverter/micro-inverter companies, portable energy storage firms, home energy storage businesses, photovoltaic/appliance manufacturers, and new force enterprises. Notable companies include:

• Inverter/Micro-Inverter Companies: Enphase, Guruwatt, Huayuxin, Dele Co., Hema Co., Yuneng Technology, Sanjing Electric, Goodwe, Airro Energy, Enyip, Shouhang New Energy, Haipeng Technology, Yijing Microelectronics, Benyi Electric, and Enwo New Energy.
• Portable Energy Storage Companies: Anker Innovations, Huabao New Energy, Jianghai Technology (Zendure), EcoFlow, and Huamei Xingtai.
• Home Energy Storage Companies: Wotai Energy, Tuobang Co., Tengsheng Energy, Maitian Energy, Delarand, and Aiyang Power.
• Photovoltaic/Appliance Companies: Solarwatt, TCL, Skyworth, Midea Hekang New Energy, and Haier Nahui New Energy.
• New Force Players: Jiayu Digital Energy, Xihe Future, Tianji New Energy, Songrong New Energy Technology, and others.

The primary manufacturing regions for balcony photovoltaic energy storage products are in China and certain parts of Asia and Latin America, while developed regions such as Europe and North America serve as the main application markets. Key manufacturers in the balcony energy storage market include Anker Innovations, Enphase, Guruwatt, Wotai Energy, Solarwatt, and EcoFlow. Micro inverter manufacturers and portable energy storage companies maintain a leading advantage due to their brand influence and established distribution channels.

In its 2024 report, Anker Innovations noted that its energy storage business achieved annual revenue exceeding 3 billion yuan, marking a 184% year-on-year increase, with balcony energy storage sales ranking first globally.

Chinese Companies Enter the Balcony Energy Storage Arena

Europe has emerged as the primary battleground for balcony solar energy storage, particularly in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, which benefit significantly from policy incentives. Germany’s 800W balcony photovoltaic proposal has streamlined installation processes, while the Netherlands’ negative pricing and net metering policies have spurred demand for user energy storage solutions.

Overall, the balcony energy storage market remains relatively small and is in an early stage of rapid development, leading to intense competition. Global micro inverter leader Enphase introduced the new IQ PowerPack 1500 in November 2024, a portable power station featuring a built-in Enphase IQ8 micro inverter. Chinese companies such as Huayuxin, Maitian Energy, Guruwatt, Anker Innovations, EcoFlow, Hema Co., and Yuneng Technology are quickly capturing market share through competitive pricing and comprehensive solutions.

For instance, Huayuxin showcased its balcony micro energy storage system at Intersolar, featuring a battery capacity of 2.56 kWh (expandable to three units for a total capacity of 10.24 kWh) with a maximum output of 1200W, supporting low-power DC devices and seamlessly compatible with micro inverters for easy installation. Huabao New Energy launched a new generation DIY small home green power system, the Jackery Home Power 2000 Ultra, equipped with a 2 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery that can be expanded to 8 kWh, supporting a maximum photovoltaic input power of 2800W (2000W MPPT and 800W micro inverter).

Companies like Anker Innovations and Guruwatt have introduced integrated balcony solar energy storage systems designed to lower user barriers with “consumer-grade” products. Penghui Energy unveiled the new Allpowers POWISER balcony energy storage solution at CES 2024, while Jiayu Digital Energy developed an 800W micro inverter compatible with European irregular rooftops. Dele Co. plans to launch grid-connected balcony energy storage products in Germany.

Advancements in Balcony Energy Storage Solutions

Notably, as distributed photovoltaic and energy storage technologies converge, the “micro inverter + micro storage” integrated solutions centered on balcony applications have become the market’s focal point. A typical balcony energy storage solution can be simplified as: 800W to 2000W photovoltaic module input + 800W micro inverter + 2kWh to 10kWh expandable micro storage.

For example, the JUPITER series integrated balcony energy storage system from MARSTEK, a brand under Huamei Xingtai, offers product capacities ranging from 2560Wh to 5120Wh, supporting up to 2kW solar input with an 800W AC grid-connected output, requiring no installation and offering plug-and-play convenience. Guruwatt’s new NEXA 2000 balcony energy storage product features an integrated design that combines an inverter and a 2kWh battery (expandable to 8kWh), equipped with four MPPTs, accepting up to 2600W of photovoltaic input with a nominal AC output power of 800W.

In summary, balcony photovoltaics have evolved to version 3.0. Version 1.0 consisted of photovoltaic modules and micro inverters, while version 2.0 included photovoltaic modules, micro inverters, and micro storage. The 3.0 version integrates photovoltaic modules with an all-in-one balcony energy storage unit, which means that the integrated unit combines both micro inverters and micro storage, achieving higher technological integration, a smarter system, better energy efficiency, easier installation, and user-friendly operation.

In detail, micro inverter technology continues to evolve, with single-stage DAB topology solutions standing out for their high efficiency (peaking at 98.4%), low cost, and compact design. Companies like Yijing Microelectronics and Yuneng Technology are adapting high-power components through a multi-device architecture (such as 800W/5000W). Micro storage systems are also progressing toward modular, plug-and-play, and intelligent designs, such as Huabao New Energy’s DIY family green power system, which supports quick installation in five minutes and intelligent peak-valley arbitrage. The integrated photovoltaic, micro inverter, micro storage, and heat pump solution offered by Zhongneng Sitong enhances solar energy utilization to 80%, addressing both electricity generation and domestic hot water needs.

The deep integration of micro inverters and micro storage has led to the emergence of one-stop energy systems for homes. Companies are transitioning from single hardware offerings to a “solar storage charging” ecosystem. Currently, Jiayu Digital Energy has launched the JMS-1200 micro storage all-in-one machine, supporting self-consumption and off-grid operation. MARSTEK has released the ENERGYCUBE smart coupling system, enabling electricity trading and off-grid power supply. Companies like Hema and Yuneng Technology are promoting product transitions from B2B to C2C using Bluetooth/Wi-Fi communication technologies, allowing users to install and manage energy independently. Xihe Future has proposed an “AI micro inverter” that uses algorithms to enhance power generation efficiency and lifespan.

Opportunities and Challenges in the Balcony Energy Storage Market

It is essential to note that the balcony energy storage market is still in its development phase. There is considerable potential for growth in areas such as policy support and market expansion, technological innovations to improve safety and efficiency, modular designs to lower installation barriers, and large-scale production to reduce costs in commercial and large residential applications.

Despite its promising outlook, the balcony energy storage sector faces challenges such as limited balcony space, power capacity restrictions, policy uncertainties, low market awareness, product homogenization, high initial investment costs, and longer payback periods. Furthermore, competition in the market is intense, with European and American consumers showing higher loyalty to local brands. For instance, Enphase’s micro inverter products command over 70% of the North American market share, while local brands such as Solarwatt and Delarand are actively seeking OEM partnerships. The impact of geopolitical risks on the global economy and Chinese supply chains could significantly affect Chinese enterprises entering this space.

For Chinese companies, it is crucial to leverage technological innovations as a competitive edge, strengthen technological barriers, optimize cost control, enhance localized services, and lead product innovation and the creation of intelligent ecological systems to maintain a competitive advantage in this rapidly evolving market.