With curtailment rates rising across utility-scale solar farms in Australia—exceeding 25% in some areas—industry stakeholders are urgently seeking solutions to optimise generation and grid integration. Applus+ offers end-to-end Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) engineering services that can help mitigate these challenges and unlock greater value from renewable energy investments.
Without intervention, curtailment could undermine solar viability in the coming years.
Australia’s solar energy boom is running into serious headwinds. According to recent reporting, curtailment across the National Electricity Market (NEM) averaged 4.5% in 2024, with several large-scale PV plants experiencing curtailment rates exceeding 25%. The primary cause: grid congestion in key renewable zones, particularly western New South Wales and northwest Victoria.
As solar energy generation outpaces transmission infrastructure upgrades, more projects are being forced to reduce output during peak periods. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) warns that this issue will intensify unless major investments are made in grid capacity. Projections suggest that new projects in southern states could face curtailment between 35% and 65% by 2027—dramatically undermining the financial viability of future developments.
For asset owners, this trend represents more than just lost generation—it directly impacts revenue, return on investment, and confidence in long-term project performance.
While the curtailment problem continues to mount, solutions exist today that can help solar developers and owners protect their assets and maximise energy production potential. Among these, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are increasingly viewed as a strategic necessity rather than an optional enhancement.
Applus+ in Australia offers a full spectrum of BESS Engineering Services to support clients throughout the lifecycle of energy storage integration. From early-stage planning and modelling through to commissioning and performance optimisation, Applus+ provides the independent technical expertise needed to deliver successful battery storage projects.
These services include:
By partnering with Applus+, developers can avoid costly pitfalls, optimise asset configuration, and futureproof their installations for evolving regulatory and market conditions.
While Applus+ is not directly involved in the solar curtailment incidents reported across the NEM, our battery storage engineering services are designed to help address precisely these kinds of grid and export challenges.
BESS solutions enable solar projects to store excess energy during peak production periods and discharge it when the grid can absorb it—thereby reducing curtailment and improving dispatchability. This has the added benefit of contributing to grid stability by supporting voltage and frequency control services, especially in regions with declining thermal generation capacity.
Globally and locally, developers who have integrated BESS with their solar assets are seeing clear performance benefits. In comparable cases, co-located storage systems have enabled asset owners to recover lost generation hours, smooth output variability, and significantly reduce curtailment-related losses.
As the Australian energy sector navigates its transition, solar projects that proactively incorporate battery storage are better positioned to maintain high performance and commercial reliability.
Applus+ offers more than just technical design—we act as an independent energy storage consulting partner to assess site viability, recommend the best-fit storage technologies, and ensure seamless delivery and operation of BESS assets. Our work extends into advisory, quality assurance, and long-term asset support—making us a trusted choice for clients aiming to integrate storage into their renewable portfolios.
With increasing pressure on the grid and growing uncertainty for new solar projects, now is the time to consider storage integration as part of a forward-looking asset strategy. Applus+ stands ready to support this evolution with deep technical expertise, robust processes, and a commitment to engineering excellence.
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