Five Chinese energy storage makers to watch in 2026

Chinese battery storage suppliers are expanding across residential, commercial and utility-scale markets as global deployments head toward 100 GWh a year by 2026. Solis, Sungrow, Goodwe, Growatt and Deye stand out for scale, export reach and increasingly software-driven energy storage offerings.

Why it matters: - Chinese manufacturers are taking a larger share of the global energy storage market as renewable power growth and grid modernization drive demand. - The shift is affecting homes, commercial facilities and utility-scale projects, where buyers now care as much about software and market access as battery performance. - Long-duration storage and hybrid systems are becoming key differentiators for developers and grid operators.

What happened: - Five Chinese companies have emerged as notable energy storage suppliers in 2026: Solis (Ginlong Technologies), Sungrow Power Supply, Goodwe, Growatt and Deye. - The companies cover residential, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale energy storage systems. - Industry data points to global energy storage deployments exceeding 100 GWh annually by 2026.

The details: - Solis was founded in 2005, has more than 5,000 employees, and includes an R&D team of more than 1,000 engineers. - Solis says annual inverter production capacity reaches 80 GW and its products are deployed in more than 100 countries. - SolisStorage’s EverCore ESS for C&I use features an AC/DC separation architecture, a 125kW hybrid inverter, A-grade 314Ah LFP cells, and a stated cycle life of more than 8,000 cycles. - SolisCloud monitoring and Solis AI support remote monitoring, smart charge and discharge control, and energy price response. - Solis software connects with 102 third-party VPP and EMS operators across 11 European countries, including Octopus Energy’s Kraken platform in the UK and Check Watt in the Nordics. - Sungrow was founded in 1997 and is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under 300274. - Sungrow says it has shipped more than 300 GW of inverters globally, and its liquid-cooled storage systems have been used in multi-hundred-MWh projects. - Sungrow’s storage business spans utility-scale, C&I and residential systems, with PCS used in grid-level projects in China, the US, Europe and the Middle East. - Goodwe was established in 2010 and is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange under 688390. - Goodwe’s storage lineup includes the ES and BT inverter series paired with Lycan battery systems. - Goodwe has been named a Top Brand PV Inverter by EuPD Research for multiple years and sells into Europe, Australia and Asia. - Growatt was founded in 2010 and is based in Shenzhen. - Growatt’s MIN-XH and SPH inverters paired with ARK battery modules are positioned for home solar battery systems. - Growatt says it has shipped more than 30 GW of inverters worldwide and operates subsidiaries in Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia. - Deye, founded in 2000 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange under 605117, entered the solar inverter market in 2016. - Deye’s hybrid inverters are often paired with low-voltage batteries and support parallel operation for higher capacity. - Deye has expanded production capacity and is now a top-10 global inverter supplier by volume, according to industry reports.

Between the lines: - The competitive edge is shifting from pure hardware specs to software openness and lifecycle service. - Third-party virtual power plant and energy management integrations are becoming more valuable because they help systems participate in local energy markets and stack revenue. - Solis stands out in this group for pairing hardware integration with a broader software ecosystem, while Sungrow remains strongest in utility-scale deployment.

What’s next: - Chinese storage makers are expected to keep expanding overseas manufacturing and after-sales networks through 2026. - Demand for peak shaving and backup power should keep driving C&I storage growth. - Residential and small commercial systems are likely to remain a major growth channel for Goodwe, Growatt and Deye. - Solis is positioned to compete more aggressively in mid-to-large C&I storage with EverCore and its open software ecosystem.

The bottom line: - Chinese energy storage suppliers are no longer competing only on battery size and inverter power. Software integration, market connectivity and global service reach are now central to winning projects.