Russian businesses accelerate investment in on-site solar and energy storage
Russian corporate demand for on-site generation more than doubled in 2026 as grid interruptions, connection constraints and high electricity tariffs pushed companies toward solar panels and storage. Behind-the-meter solar construction has reached 100 MW annually, with the strongest activity in southern Russia and the Far East.
Corporate demand more than doubles
Russian businesses are accelerating investment in their own power generation as interruptions to grid supply, capacity shortages and high electricity prices increase operating risks. According to Kommersant, citing market participants, corporate interest in on-site generation rose sharply during the summer of 2026.
Alexey Zhikharev, director of the Association for the Development of Renewable Energy, estimated that demand for self-generation facilities more than doubled in 2026. Interest has been particularly strong in solar panels and energy storage systems. Annual construction of behind-the-meter solar power plants, located on the consumer side of the meter, has reached 100 MW.
Hevel, a Russian manufacturer of solar modules, said the small-scale solar generation market is growing by 25–30% per year. Small and medium-sized companies are driving that expansion as they seek alternatives to expensive electricity purchased from the grid.
Southern regions lead autonomous system sales
VoltaEnergy, a Hevel distributor, reported that sales of hybrid solar stations equipped with storage and fully autonomous installations in Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Region increased 1.8 times year on year from June. A Hevel representative linked the rise to electricity supply disruptions and shortages of fuel for diesel and gasoline generators.
Demand is concentrated in regions where network limitations are most acute. Nord Energy chief executive Timur Kotlyar identified Kuban, Crimea, several other southern regions and the Far East as key markets for storage and distributed generation. Businesses in these areas face difficulties obtaining technological connections and a shortage of available grid capacity.
Volts Group chairman Vladimir Mlynchik said the number of inquiries for electricity storage systems had increased over the past six months in the North Caucasus, Krasnodar Territory and Crimea. With low-voltage electricity tariffs for legal entities at 9–14 rubles per kWh, solar equipment can pay for itself in three to four years, he said.
Storage and gas generation broaden the market
The shift is not limited to solar installations. Kotlyar said energy-intensive businesses across all Russian regions are showing strong demand for storage systems. Batteries can support autonomous solar facilities, reduce exposure to interruptions and help companies manage consumption when grid electricity is costly or capacity is limited.
Gas-piston units are also attracting corporate buyers. Demand is particularly strong in the Moscow region, Krasnodar Territory, the Far East and Siberia, where companies are considering their own energy centers because of expensive grid tariffs and long connection times. The equipment mix therefore varies by site: solar and storage are expanding rapidly in areas with reliability problems, while gas-based generation serves businesses that require larger or more continuous supplies.
The figures indicate that distributed power is moving beyond a backup role for Russian companies. A 100 MW annual market for behind-the-meter solar remains modest compared with utility-scale generation, but growth of 25–30% and the more than twofold rise in demand point to a widening corporate customer base. For equipment manufacturers, distributors and installers, the strongest opportunities are in regions where grid constraints coincide with high tariffs and costly disruptions.
