With the rapid expansion of distributed photostatic, commercial & industrial energy storage, and home backup power markets, energy storage batteries are evolving from "single product devices" into "energy assets and system solutions." By 2026, the global energy storage industry will be entering a new competitive phase centered on safety and reliability, system integration capabilities, and whole life cycle value. This article by GSL Energy provides professional market insights and a selection guide, focusing on industry trends, supplier landscape, representative brands, and procurement evaluation criteria.
Driven by policies, energy structure adjustments, and end-application upgrades, the energy storage industry exhibits the following three major trends:
System Scalability and Liquid-Cooling Technology Become Mainstream Paths
5MWh+ integrated systems are rapidly penetrating the market.
Liquid-cooling energy storage system architecture is becoming widespread in commercial, industrial, and grid-side applications.
Safety redundancy and thermal management capabilities have become core metrics.
The lithium battery manufacturers are shifting from "capacity stacking" to "risk control + efficiency improvement" as engineering capabilities become the new competitive focus.
Home Energy Storage Systems Transition from Backup Power to Energy Management Assets
User focus shifts from capacity to ROI, grid-interaction strategies, and electricity consumption optimization.
PV + ESS + EV + Heat Pump systems are forming a synergistic energy ecosystem.
Evaluation of energy storage system manufacturer capabilities is gradually extending to software, platforms, and remote operation and maintenance.
LiFePO₄ Battery Becomes the Long-Term Dominant Path for Energy Storage
LiFePO₄ batteries offer better thermal stability than ternary systems.
Their cycle life and cost advantages align more closely with energy storage requirements.
They are suitable for residential, commercial, and communication backup power applications.
Industry evaluation standards are shifting from "single-point performance" to "system-wide reliability and long-term asset value."
The energy storage supply chain currently comprises three core types of enterprises:
Cell and Material Manufacturers: Provide underlying technology and consistency capabilities.
PACK and ESS System Integrator: Deliver solutions tailored to specific application scenarios.
Branded Platform-Type Manufacturers: Possess global project experience and engineering delivery capabilities.
Companies capable of participating in overseas projects and medium-to-large-scale energy storage deployments generally possess the following capability mix:
Complete certification systems and regional compliance capabilities.
Cell consistency and safety architecture capabilities.
Inverter protocol compatibility and system platform capabilities.
Overseas delivery and on-site engineering experience.
This is also a key reason for the ongoing consolidation of market share among leading brands.
The following brands are selected based on comprehensive criteria including technological maturity, certification systems, system capabilities, and market recognition, serving as a reference for industry procurement and engineering integration (not a commercial ranking).
Representative Energy Storage Battery and ESS Brands
CATL — Large-scale energy storage and cell platform enterprise.
BYD — Extensive coverage in commercial, industrial, and system integration capabilities.
EVE Energy — Notable advantages in LFP consistency capabilities.
Pylontech — Representative in residential energy storage niche applications.
GSL ENERGY — LiFePO₄ energy storage systems and residential/commercial & industrial ESS manufacturer.
Sungrow — Prominent in utility-grade BESS and delivery capabilities.
Huawei Digital Power — Integrated digital solutions for solar and storage.
Tesla Energy — Benchmark brand for home energy storage.
LG Energy Solution — Advantages in international projects and certifications.
CALB/Gotion — Companies with a parallel focus on power and energy storage sectors.
This analysis is structured based on publicly available certification information, engineering case materials, and industry practical experience, ensuring traceability and professional credibility.
The U.S. market is driven by compliance and engineering safety, with energy storage systems typically required to meet:
UL 9540
UL 1973 UL 9540a
NFPA Fire Safety Standards
CEC Listing (for residential and grid-tied systems)
When selecting products, engineering firms prioritize evaluating:
Application cases and long-term operational performance.
Inverter system compatibility and protocol adaptability.
BMS architecture, event protection, and safety strategies.
Remote monitoring, firmware updates, and operation and maintenance support.
Products lacking key certifications or engineering implementation capabilities struggle to enter mainstream market applications.
It is recommended to conduct systematic evaluations based on the following six dimensions:
Certification systems and regional compliance coverage.
Cell consistency and lifespan data verification.
BMS safety architecture and inverter compatibility capabilities.
System scalability and parallel design logic.
Warranty terms, service systems, and after-sales capabilities.
Engineering cases, delivery capabilities, and project experience.
Price is not the sole criterion, system stability and whole life cycle costs are the true decision-making basis.
As energy storage gradually transitions from consumer-grade products to energy infrastructure assets, the industry's value logic is shifting — from "selling batteries" to "delivering energy reliability and asset returns." In the future, companies with technological depth, engineering capabilities, and global service capacity will continue to lead market development.
In global residential, commercial & industrial energy storage system applications, GSL ENERGY continues to provide partners with LiFePO₄ energy storage batteries and supports OEM/ODM, project delivery, and technical empowerment, helping customers achieve more competitive energy application value in the global market.