Suboptimal management of solar panels and battery systems could cost Ukrainian companies up to 30 percent of potential revenue, according to energy management firm Gecko VPP. The finding comes as industrial storage gains wider adoption across the country as a tool for energy resilience \u2014 yet the financial return on those investments varies significantly.<\/p>\n
Ukraine added 551 MW of new energy storage capacity in 2025, according to national regulator NKREKP. But as Forbes Ukraine observed, identical installations can produce entirely different financial outcomes depending on the algorithms and charging sources applied.<\/p>\n
Gecko VPP argues that physical installation is only the starting point. Intelligent energy management software improves returns by aligning charge and discharge cycles with daily electricity price movements \u2014 drawing from the grid during cheaper nighttime hours, releasing stored energy in the morning, capturing surplus solar output during the day, and discharging again in the evening. Because tariffs, generation volumes, and business consumption needs shift continuously, rigid fixed schedules lose their effectiveness quickly.<\/p>\n
In a modeled calculation for a business with base electricity costs exceeding UAH 15.2 million, deploying a premium energy management system could yield net savings of approximately UAH 947,000 after software fees. A further UAH 175,900 effect in that model is attributed to consumption and generation forecasting, with imbalances, battery degradation, and cycle costs all factored in. Final outcomes, the firm notes, always depend on a company’s specific profile and prevailing market conditions.<\/p>\n
Gecko VPP CEO Oleksandr But noted that the real challenge for an industrial battery system begins after it goes live, as ongoing intelligent software control is what determines whether the hardware reaches its full potential.<\/p>\n