Hybrid energy systems are catching a lot of attention in the energy industry: from utilities and independent power plants (IPPs) to technology providers, system integrators, project developers, and regulators. Globally, the market for large on-grid hybrid energy systems is at an early stage of development, waiting for proper regulations that can recognize its value to grid operations and further reduce storage costs.

Opportunities for small hybrid plants in remote electrification in villages and islands, as well for commercial and industrial power supply, are popping up across the world, driven by decarbonization commitments and the combination of thermal generation with renewables and battery storage.

Several leading industry participants have begun to embrace hybrids as a way to add value to their offerings and expect this new pattern for power generation to become a new normal in the mid-to-long term. Participants willing to tap into emerging hybrid market opportunities need to develop a set of building blocks to meet demand and create alliances with other companies to cover all the technology and capabilities needed to successfully serve this market. Besides efficient and economical storage solutions, hybrid energy offerings must include powerful control systems that are subject to continued development and will become the new competitive frontier for integrators to differentiate.

Frost & Sullivan expects a bright future for the hybrid energy market, with the deployment of hybrid power plants to exceed a four-fold growth, from 9.3 GW in 2019 to 38.6 GW in 2025, catalyzing more than $130 billion in investment during the study period. In line with the trends shaping the overall power market, solar will dominate the hybrids scene, accounting for 54.3% of the total investments in 2030.

This study presents regional-level estimations on how hybrids capacity and investments are expected to evolve in the next 5 years across generation technologies. It examines the future visioning scenarios impacting the market, in terms of the future of energy, economic trends, new business models, disruptive technologies, and competitive landscape. The study also highlights the use cases and markets where opportunities for hybrids are developing fast, and the best action points to tackle them.

Key growth opportunities discussed include the potential for utility-scale and decentralized retrofits, unlocking additional value from energy markets, adopting a technology-agnostic approach, collaborative strategies, modularization and standardization, innovative financing models, and system optimization as a service.

Author: Maria Benintende