Read a summary of the key insights from the BESS Pros Survey Report. The report provides a snapshot of the most pressing concerns in the field today, highlighting key operational pain points and areas for improvement.
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The battery energy storage system (BESS) industry is evolving rapidly, and with that growth come new challenges and shifting priorities. To better understand what’s top of mind for professionals working with BESS, we conducted the BESS Pros Survey, gathering insights from over 80 engineers, technicians, asset managers, and operators. The results provide a snapshot of the most pressing concerns in the field today, highlighting key operational pain points and areas for improvement.
Historically, safety has been the dominant issue in battery storage, but our survey suggests a shift in focus. 58% of respondents identified system performance and availability as their top concerns. As the industry matures, professionals are increasingly focused on maximizing return on investment (ROI), improving system efficiency, and increasing profitability. While safety remains essential, the expanding complexity of BESS operations means that performance optimization is taking center stage.
Among self-reported pain points (answered as freeform text), responses varied widely. Performance issues were mentioned frequently, often alongside other challenges such as degradation or warranty, showing that BESS challenges are interlinked and cannot necessarily be viewed in isolation.
For example, one survey respondent emphasized: “Managing BESS assets comes with key challenges like warranty and contract management, where tracking warranty terms, compliance, and resolving claims can be complex. Degradation and lifespan management also poses difficulties in accurately predicting and optimizing performance while balancing operational needs and long-term reliability.”
Another significant finding is that 46% of respondents experience technical issues at least once a month. The frequency of these disruptions is even higher for operations and maintenance (O&M) teams, with 73% reporting issues once a month or more.
This discrepancy highlights a potential disconnect between those focused on day-to-day operations and the rest of the organization, who may not always have visibility into how often technical problems arise. Bridging this gap is crucial to ensuring smoother BESS operations and reducing unplanned downtime.
Despite advances in energy storage software and digital solutions, only about half (55%) of the respondents expressed satisfaction with their current technology stack. Unlike other mature industries, the BESS sector has yet to define a standard set of software tools that meet all of their needs. This indicates a clear opportunity for innovation in data management, predictive analytics, and performance monitoring solutions tailored to BESS operations.
During a follow-up interview, Johan Wolmarans, Senior Specialist BESS at SPS, explains: “For the remote monitoring platform, we need something with more capabilities specifically on the energy storage side. We can drill down into a lot of information on the PV side, but we cannot drill down into information on the battery side. If that can include battery analytics, that would be great. If not, that is something that we'll have to add on additionally.”
The findings from the BESS Pros Survey make one thing clear: data is the key to successful BESS operation. Owners and operators must prioritize data management from the outset of a project, ensuring that have a plan for accessing, managing, utilizing, and extracting insights from their data.
A well-structured data strategy can help:
Want to learn more? Download the full report to compare your own BESS strategy against industry peers.
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