When does BESS really make sense for EVCS + Solar projects? / Our Blog / By Finulent Solutions Battery storage seems an inescapable part of the 2026 energy talk. It’s everywhere. Global BESS shipments surged 50% in 2025 and are set for 43% growth this year. US capacity topped 37GW last year with 15GW in queue. And in Australia, battery-backed renewables dominate new capacity additions. But when does this really pay off beyond the buzz? Companies sink $2 million into solar-powered EV chargers, only to watch evening’s peak demand throttle it all. Battery storage can turn solar into 24/7 revenue. But it works in specific conditions and underperforms in others. When BESS makes sense High-demand EVCS When peak demand becomes a problem for busy charging hubs. So time-of-use tariffs often double or triple after 6 PM. And without storage, operators will feel that spike immediately. A smart sized battery can help shave those peaks and cut demand charges by up to 45%. You can expect paybacks around 4-5 years in optimized solar & storage setups. Especially if you count incentives like the extended ITC in. For fleet depots or highway corridors with over 100 sessions a day, the math is compelling: stored solar reduces grid pull, faster charger turnover drives revenue, and the battery protects margins in the background. Grid-constrained EVCS When the struggle for EV charging sites is the grid. When utility upgrades take years, battery storage becomes a legit workaround. We’ve seen a 34-charger site pair solar with a 300 kWh BESS for a small microgrid. The result was over $25K of savings in connection fees with no waiting around for the grid to catch up. The system stores excess energy from the day and uses it when people plug in during peak hours. This means higher uptime and up to 60% better utilization of your charger. It’s particularly valuable in dense urban areas or sites stuck in long interconnection queues. Remote locations with high extension costs When you have a site where the grid isn’t economically viable. Storage solar is a clear choice if extending the grid costs like $50K per km. Upfront infrastructure cost would negate any returns before operations begin. Here, solar and storage outperform grid connection on both timelines and money. A proper BESS converts solar into dispatchable power, allowing predictable charging availability without volatile fuel costs. For commercial operators, this means controlled expenses and energy certainty. In such scenarios, storage is what makes the project viable in the first place. When BESS gets tricky Low charger utilization When there are just about 20 sessions a day. Batteries make you money when there’s something to optimize. But when demand spikes are low your battery mostly just sits there. Utilization rate’s one of the biggest drivers of EVCS economics. If your chargers aren’t busy, capital-heavy add-ons like battery storage won’t give much payback. Minimal demand charges When demand charges are too low. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, demand charges make up to 70% of commercial EV charging bills in some US states. In such areas with high demand charges, BESS creates measurable savings. But if your region has: Low $/kW demand charges Small time-of-use spreads Flat commercial tariffs There’s nothing meaningful to shave. Storage savings won’t justify its CapEx if demand charges are barely 20% of your electricity bill. A lack of energy expertise When you don’t have the bandwidth for the operational side of BESS. BESS brings in: EMS software dependency Warranty cycle limits Degradation management Safety compliance requirements Without proper modelling and a strong EMS, savings just don’t come by as projected. BESS is an execution risk If your company lacks solid support with energy. The corporate reality Even when companies choose right with BESS, there’s risk in not optimizing it. Modelling the wrong load or deploying it without intelligent controls nibble away at ROIs. At Finulent Solutions, we approach it as a design problem and model real charging behavior so it becomes a predictable asset. The decision should ultimately begin with “What problem are we trying to solve?” If the answer’s a measurable improvement, BESS can strengthen your case. If not, that capital is better placed elsewhere. Projects that win going forward will be the ones that treat storage as a tool to deploy only when the numbers justify it.
