Pike Research forecasts the market for commercial building energy systems to grow from $3.9 billion in revenue in 2013 to more than $7.5 billion in 2022 in new report.
The commercial buildings market is currently the largest source of revenue for stationary energy storage companies, primarily thanks to a robust uninterruptible power supply (UPS) industry, which requires an energy storage component. Pike Research says that segment alone is estimated to generate $3.7 billion in global sales in 2013.
In addition, there is a relatively healthy market for thermal energy systems, which use thermal mass (either ice or ceramic bricks) to store energy for later use in climate control in a building. That market is estimated by Pike Research to be worth $89.6 million in 2013.
Finally, an emerging segment of electrical energy storage systems is beginning to be established in some parts of the world.
The future growth of energy storage systems for commercial buildings is heavily dependent on the local regulatory environment, both from the perspective of the electric utility’s rate structure and government incentives for energy storage systems. In regions where energy storage is incentivized through utility rebates, time-of-use rates with high differentials, or government mandates, growth is expected to be much higher.
