Hungary is accelerating the rollout of electricity storage to capture unused solar generation, ease pressure on the power network and strengthen household energy security. Government officials argue that countries which solve large-scale storage challenges now will be best positioned in the 2030s, as adding generation capacity alone is no longer sufficient without flexibility.
A central pillar of the strategy is a subsidy of up to around €6,300 per household for battery installations, covering both batteries and inverters. With average project costs estimated at about €8,100, the state will finance the bulk of the investment. The scheme is open to households that already have solar panels, as well as those committing to install them.
Hungary currently has more than 8.3 GW of installed solar capacity, approaching the peak output of the Paks nuclear power plant, but only around 220 MW of electricity storage. To correct this imbalance, residential and corporate support schemes are being launched in parallel, with the aim of lifting total storage capacity to around 1,000 MW within 18 months.
Under the household programme, priority will be given to consumers already on gross metering or required to switch by 2030, followed by residents of municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, and then other applicants. Around 70,000 households are expected to transition away from annual net metering by 2030, with the process continuing until 2034.
The residential scheme is backed by a budget of roughly €260 million and is expected to deliver at least 200 MW of new household-level storage. In parallel, a corporate storage tender worth around €130 million will open in February under the Jedlik Anyos Energy Program. Participating companies will not lose existing settlement rights earlier than planned, and firms that previously received solar subsidies may apply, except where storage was already publicly funded.
While batteries cannot resolve seasonal supply-demand imbalances, officials emphasize that they are currently the most effective tool for shifting daytime solar production into evening demand, alongside pumped-storage hydropower plants.