A new battery storage project at Pfalzmarkt in Mutterstadt enables surplus electricity from an existing 3 MW solar installation to be stored instead of curtailed. The 5 MW/10 MWh system improves solar self-consumption, reduces peak demand and enhances energy reliability for the site's logistics and cold storage operations.
Zero-feed-in constraints are no longer a barrier to solar expansion in Germany. In Mutterstadt, BayWa r.e. Solar Energy Systems GmbH, part of BayWa r.e. Solar Trade, and Rheinland Solar GmbH have deployed a 5 MW/10 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) for Pfalzmarkt für Obst und Gemüse eG in Mutterstadt, Germany. The project is designed to capture surplus electricity from the site's existing photovoltaic installation that would otherwise be curtailed under its zero-feed-in operating configuration.
The construction work for the project started in October 2025, and the delivery of the two battery energy storage systems took place in the latter half of June 2026. The two SOCOMEC SMARTSYS M5000 turnkey battery energy storage containers each offer 2.5 MW of power output with 5 MWh of storage capacity, thus resulting in a rating of 5 MW/10 MWh for the system as a whole.
The logistics company Pfalzmarkt has an existing photovoltaic installation of around 3 MWp to supply electricity to its logistics and refrigeration warehouses. As this system works on the basis of a zero feed-in technology, any excess energy produced in phases of reduced consumption cannot be exported to the power grid and has so far been wasted.
The battery storage system solves this problem by storing any extra solar energy and distributing it when required. This increases the self-consumption rate of renewable electricity produced on site while reducing dependence on imported grid power. The battery system is also expected to lower peak electricity demand and improve the reliability of energy supply for logistics and cold storage operations, where continuous electricity availability is essential.
According to BayWa r.e., battery energy storage is becoming an increasingly important technology for commercial and industrial customers seeking to maximise the economic value of onsite renewable energy assets. Integrating battery storage with solar generation enables facilities to improve operational flexibility, optimise electricity costs and better manage fluctuating energy demand.
The project also marks an important milestone for SOCOMEC, representing the deployment of its 500th energy storage system worldwide. The collaboration between BayWa r.e. Solar Energy Systems GmbH, Rheinland Solar GmbH and SOCOMEC demonstrates the growing adoption of behind-the-meter battery storage solutions in Germany's commercial and industrial sector.
As businesses continue investing in renewable energy, battery storage is playing a larger role in reducing renewable energy curtailment, increasing energy independence and supporting more resilient facility operations. The Pfalzmarkt installation highlights how combining photovoltaic generation with battery storage can improve the utilisation of existing solar assets without requiring additional grid export capacity.