In 2025, the global energy storage industry officially entered the 100 GW era. The wave of energy transition drove the industry to achieve breakthroughs in both scale and quality.China continued to lead with a 58.6% share of global new installations, serving as the core engine of global energy storage development.
From accelerating technological iteration and breakthroughs to explosive expansion of market size, from comprehensive upgrades in enterprise strategies to sustained capital inflows, the energy storage industry is embracing unprecedented development opportunities and industry transformation. At the launch of the survey for the "2026 Global PV Top 20 and China Energy Storage Top 20 Rankings," we comprehensively reviewed the development trajectory of the global and Chinese energy storage industry in 2025, summarizing core highlights and development trends to provide comprehensive and authoritative decision-making references for industry participants including energy storage enterprises, industry investors, upstream and downstream suppliers, and related institutions, facilitating high-quality industry development.
Global Energy Storage: Breakthroughs in Both Scale and Structure, with China Dominating the Supply Chain
In 2025, global electricity ESS new installations reached 113.3 GW/323.5 GWh, up 48.2%/65.7% YoY, with cumulative installations exceeding 496.2 GW, demonstrating strong growth momentum. China contributed 66.4 GW/189.5 GWh of new installations, ranking first globally for four consecutive years. The US and Europe followed with 22.5 GW and 15.8 GW respectively, forming a stable "one dominant, multiple strong" global energy storage market landscape.
In terms of technology routes, lithium-ion batteries remained mainstream with a 92.3% share. Meanwhile, long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies accelerated breakthroughs, with commercialization of flow batteries, compressed air energy storage, and gravity energy storage advancing rapidly. The share of global new LDES projects rose from 12.5% in 2024 to 18.7%. Sodium-ion battery technology maturity continued to rise, with top-tier enterprises achieving mass-produced battery cell energy density exceeding 160 Wh/kg and costs 20%-25% lower than LFP, offering new possibilities for cost reduction in the energy storage industry.
At the supply chain level, Chinese enterprises held an absolutely dominant position. In 2025, global ESS battery shipments reached 651.5 GWh, up 76.2% YoY. Chinese enterprises shipped a combined 614.7 GWh, accounting for 94.4% of the global total. From upstream materials to downstream system integration, Chinese enterprises have built a complete and globally competitive supply chain system.
China Energy Storage: Accelerating Market-Oriented Transformation with an Increasingly Mature Industrial Ecosystem
Amid the rapid development of the global energy storage industry, China, as a core force, demonstrated a positive trajectory of accelerating market-oriented transformation and an increasingly mature industrial ecosystem. As of the end of 2025, China's cumulative electricity ESS installations reached 213.3 GW, accounting for 43.0% of the global total, up 54% YoY. Among them, new-type energy storage cumulative installations reached 144.2 GW, with its share rising to 67.6%, indicating continuous optimization of the industrial structure.
In 2025, the global energy storage industry officially entered the 100-GW era. The wave of energy transition drove the industry to achieve dual breakthroughs in scale and quality.China continued to lead with58.6%of global new installations,serving as the core engine of global energy storage development.
From accelerated technological iteration breakthroughs to explosive market size expansion, from comprehensive upgrades in enterprise strategies to sustained capital inflows, the energy storage industry is embracing unprecedented development opportunities and industry transformation. At the launch of the "2026Global PV Top 20 and China Energy Storage Top 20 Rankings" survey, we comprehensively reviewed the development trajectory of the global and Chinese energy storage industry in 2025, summarized core industry highlights and development trends, and provided comprehensive and authoritative decision-making references for industry participants including energy storage enterprises, industry investors, upstream and downstream suppliers, and related institutions, facilitating high-quality industry development.
Global Energy Storage: Dual Breakthroughs in Scale and Structure, with China Dominating the Supply Chain
In 2025, global electricity ESS new installations reached 113.3 GW/323.5 GWh, up 48.2%/65.7% YoY, with cumulative installations exceeding 496.2 GW, demonstrating strong industry growth momentum. China contributed 66.4 GW/189.5 GWh of new installations,ranking first globally for four consecutive years.The US and Europe followed with 22.5 GW and 15.8 GW respectively, forming a stable "one dominant leader with multiple strong players" pattern in the global energy storage market.
In terms of technology routes,lithium-ion batteries remained the mainstream, accounting for 92.3%. Meanwhile, long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies accelerated breakthroughs, with the commercialization of flow batteries, compressed air energy storage, and gravity energy storage advancing rapidly. The share of global new LDES projects rose from 12.5% in 2024 to 18.7%. Sodium-ion battery technology maturity continued to rise, with top-tier enterprises achieving mass-produced battery cell energy density exceeding 160 Wh/kg and costs 20%-25% lower than LFP, offering new possibilities for cost reduction in the energy storage industry.
At the supply chain level,Chinese enterprises held an absolutely dominant position. In 2025, global ESS battery shipments reached 651.5 GWh, up 76.2% YoY. Chinese enterprises shipped a combined 614.7 GWh, accounting for 94.4% of the global total. From upstream materials to downstream system integration, Chinese enterprises have built a complete and globally competitive supply chain system.
China Energy Storage: Accelerating Market-Oriented Transformation and Increasingly Refined Industrial Ecosystem
Amid the rapid global development of the energy storage industry, China, as a core force, demonstrates an accelerating market-oriented transformation and an increasingly refined industrial ecosystem. By the end of 2025, China's cumulative electricity ESS installations reached 213.3 GW, accounting for 43.0% of the global total, up 54% YoY. Among them, new-type energy storage cumulative installations reached 144.2 GW, with its share rising to 67.6%, indicating continuous optimization of the industrial structure.
Application scenarios, standalone ESS accounted for 63% of new installations, up 2.7 percentage points from 2024. A coordinated development pattern between the power grid side and user side has taken shape, with the core values of energy storage in peak shaving, frequency regulation, and backup being fully released. Market entities, according to Qichacha data, the number of newly registered energy storage-related enterprises in China reached 107,000 in 2025, up 17.0% YoY, hitting a ten-year high. East China and south China demonstrated significant industrial cluster effects, accounting for 32.3% and 20.3% respectively.
Meanwhile, industry reshuffle also accelerated, with approximately 50,000 enterprises exiting the market throughout the year, and a "the strong stay strong" industry landscape initially emerged. The dual drivers of policy and market injected sustained momentum into industry development. The NDRC and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on High-Quality Development of New-Type Energy Storage," setting a clear target of 200 GW for new-type energy storage installations by 2027. At the local level, 12 provinces have introduced standalone ESS support policies. Capacity electricity prices and peak shaving compensation mechanisms have been gradually refined, with the average IRR of standalone ESS reaching 8.5%-10% in 2025. The improvement in market-oriented returns further stimulated investment vitality in the industry.
Top-Tier Enterprises Leading: Dual Empowerment of Technological Innovation and Market Expansion
In 2025, key enterprises in the energy storage industry continued to intensify technological innovation and market expansion, leading the industry's transformation toward high-quality development. Top-tier enterprises leveraged their technological and scale advantages to continuously consolidate their market positions.CATL, as the industry leader, saw its ESS battery sales up 29.13% YoY in 2025, ranking first globally for five consecutive years. Its ESS revenue reached 62.44 billion yuan, accounting for 14.74% of total revenue. It also launched condensed-state battery technology with an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, and actively deployed sodium-ion batteries, planning to apply them on a large scale in the ESS sector in 2026.Sungrow delivered outstanding performance in the ESS sector, with full-year ESS revenue of 37.287 billion yuan, up 49.39% YoY, accounting for 41.8% of total revenue. Its global ESS shipments exceeded 25 GWh, with markets outside China accounting for 60%, focusing on core markets including the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Beyond technology deployment, major industry contract signings and capacity expansions also occurred frequently. Canadian Solar Inc. had ESS orders on hand worth $3.6 billion, with global ESS shipments hitting a record high.
From publicly listed firms' performance, energy storage business has become a core growth driver for many enterprises, with significant performance divergence across the industry and top-tier enterprises further expanding their advantages. CATL, Sungrow, and other leading enterprises achieved steady growth in energy storage business through comprehensive deployment and strong competitiveness. Meanwhile, Sunwoda, Ginlong Technology, and other enterprises also achieved explosive growth in energy storage business. Ginlong Technology's energy storage business grew 185.31% YoY, with significant increases in string-type energy storage inverter shipments. CORUN, leveraging strategic transformation, achieved 1,700% YoY growth in energy storage business and 1,516.64% growth in non-recurring net profit, becoming an industry dark horse. These enterprises' performance fully reflected the strong momentum of the energy storage industry.
2026 Global PV Top 20 and China Energy Storage Top 20 Rankings Survey Officially Launched
Currently, the Strait of Hormuz blockade crisis continues to escalate, plunging global energy supply into a severely strained situation and posing enormous challenges to energy security. Against this backdrop, energy storage, as the "ballast stone" of new energy power, has seen its core value in stable power supply and peak shaving increasingly highlighted. It has not only met more urgent rigid market demand but also driven the industry to explore more cost-effective and practically applicable technology solutions, providing critical support for alleviating global energy tensions and safeguarding energy security.
Standing at a turning point of the era, the energy storage industry is transitioning from rapid growth to high-quality development, with technology innovation, cost reduction, market expansion, and landscape reshaping becoming the core key words of industry development. To comprehensively review China's energy storage industry achievements, objectively assess enterprises' comprehensive strengths, and build bridges for industry exchange and cooperation, 2026 Global PV Top 20 and China Energy Storage Top 20 Rankings Survey Has Officially Launched!
This 2026 China Energy Storage Top 20 will produce the 2026 China Energy Storage Enterprise Top 20 (Comprehensive), 2026 China ESS Battery Enterprise Top 20, and 2026 China ESS Enterprise Top 20. Ultimately, an authoritative ranking with industry influence will be established. This ranking will serve as an important reference for energy storage enterprises, industry investors, upstream and downstream suppliers, survey institutions, and others, facilitating optimal allocation of industry resources and driving higher-quality development of the energy storage industry. Relevant enterprises are welcome to actively participate in the survey and jointly witness the beginning of a new chapter in the energy storage industry.
When solar panels in Lebanon broke through war and scarcity to sustain the survival hopes of an entire city; when Europe adopted household ESS as the primary alternative amid the energy crisis, fortifying energy security with household ESS; when Chinese energy enterprises erected an energy security shield for the world with core technologies, outstanding quality, and a sense of responsibility — we clearly see that new energy technologies and new forces are rising to safeguard global energy security. This force demonstrates the confidence and commitment of Chinese brands, and carries humanity's aspiration for stable energy. We believe that Chinese brands will ultimately inject lasting Chinese momentum into global energy security amid the global energy transformation.
2026Global PV Top 20 Rankings
NO.1 2026Global PV Enterprise Top 20 (Comprehensive)
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global PV-related project, product, and service revenue (1 million)
NO.2 2026China PV Enterprise Top 20 (Comprehensive)
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global PV-related project, product, and service revenue (1 million)
NO.3 2026China PV Power Plant Investment Enterprise Top 20
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global PV power plant investment grid connection installations (MW)
NO.4 2026China PV Power Plant EPC General Contractor Enterprise Top 20
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global PV power plant grid connection installations (MW)
NO.5 2026China PV Module Enterprise Top 20
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global module shipments (MW)
NO.6 2026China PV Inverter Publicly Listed Enterprise Top 15
*Based on each publicly listed firm's (including the listed company and its subsidiaries) 2025 annual global inverter shipments (MW)
NO.7 2026China Solar Panel Mounting Bracket Enterprise Top 20
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual global mounting bracket shipments (MW)
Note: Ranking revenue is denominated in RMB (exchange rates are based on the local currency to RMB exchange rate as of December 31, 2025)
2026China Energy Storage Top 20 Rankings
NO.1 2026China Energy Storage Enterprise Top 20 Rankings (Comprehensive)
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual energy storage-related project, product, and service revenue (1 million)
NO.2 2026China ESS Battery Enterprise Top 20 Rankings
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual ESS battery sales (MWh)
NO.3 2026China ESS Enterprise Top 20 Rankings
*Based on enterprise's 2025 annual ESS installations (MWh)
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2026China Energy StorageTop 20 Rankings Declaration and Conference Inquiry:
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