New Strategy: Longi Bets on Integrated PV and Battery Storage Solutions in European Market
Frankfurt — Chinese solar manufacturer Longi is restructuring its European business. In addition to solar modules, the company plans to supply complete hybrid systems combining photovoltaics, battery storage and control software from a single source, under a new concept called "Longi ONE," backed by an expanding service network across Europe.
The RWE Project in Italy
Longi's new business model is taking shape in Italy, where the company has signed an agreement with energy group RWE for a PV-storage project. Longi will supply its "LongiBank 2.0" battery storage system, with a capacity of around 300 MWh, along with the associated solar modules. Based on the planned four-hour storage duration, this corresponds to an output of around 75 MW. The liquid-cooled lithium iron phosphate system is intended primarily to smooth peak loads and support ancillary services on the Italian grid. The expansion of such storage capacity is part of the targets under Italy's National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (Piano Nazionale Integrato per l'Energia e il Clima, PNIEC), which foresees 11 GW of grid-connected large-scale storage by 2030, among other goals.
Longi ONE: A Single Provider for Generation, Storage, Service and Grid Integration
With "Longi ONE," the company is positioning itself as a central point of contact across the system's entire lifecycle, from planning and commissioning to ongoing maintenance. "Historically, customers had to assemble individual components from different suppliers. Even when these are connected on site, they are rarely coordinated with one another – this is exactly the gap that Longi ONE closes," said Dennis She, Vice President of Longi.
In addition to integrated hardware, Longi ONE includes a shared software platform for controlling and coordinating photovoltaic, storage and power electronics components, intended to optimize system operation and support maintenance processes. According to Longi Solar, the integrated system architecture achieves a round-trip efficiency of 93 percent, four percentage points higher than the company reports for separately sourced individual components.
To support this model over typical project lifetimes of more than 20 years, Longi has announced plans to establish 15 regional service and competence centers in key European markets by the end of 2028 under its "2815 Plan," building on its existing site in Madrid.
"This agreement with RWE is a strong vote of confidence in our technology. We are showing that solar-plus-storage is no longer an add-on offering, but is becoming a central pillar of the future power grid," said Leon Zhang, President of Longi Europe.
Industry Association Develops Its Own Testing Standards for Hybrid Projects
Alongside market growth, the industry is also working on unified quality standards. In February 2026, SolarPower Europe published joint guidelines for technical due diligence on hybrid solar-and-battery-storage projects for the first time, developed by more than 30 experts from the association's Lifecycle Quality Workstream. The aim is to harmonize technical assessment of such projects across Europe and improve their financeability and risk evaluation across the full lifecycle, from feasibility studies through procurement, financing, construction and commissioning to operation, repowering and decommissioning. The association also published an updated version of its EPC guidelines, setting out specific technical requirements for the construction and operation of such hybrid plants.
"Hybrid PV and energy storage systems are reshaping Europe’s energy landscape, and common standards are essential for this growth," said Wojtek Swietochowski, Vice Chair of SolarPower Europe's Lifecycle Quality Workstream.
Source: IWR Online, 24 Jul 2026
