Clean energy software provider Orkestra Energy said preliminary results from Australia’s first commercial and industrial (C&I) Solar Industry Census highlight a booming demand for batteries in the space while customer expectations are also on the rise.
Melbourne-headquartered Orkestra, which is conducting the census in partnership with distributed solar and energy storage consultancy SunWiz, said one of the most striking findings of the census is the increasing demand for batteries, with 87.5% of respondents reporting increased customer interest over the past 12 months, while more than 50% said it’s increased substantially.
The majority of respondents said commercial customers expect battery paybacks of 5–7 years or less to proceed with a project, highlighting the need for tightly sizing systems, and finding customers with advantageous tariff structures.
Customer expectations are also evolving with more than 50% of respondents reporting a noticeable increase in demand for after-sales service, a trend Orkestra said shows that customers are becoming more sophisticated and expect more from their solar installers.
The early results also reveal that financing remains a critical enabler, with nearly half of installers reporting growing customer interest in funded solar and battery solutions.
Solar demand in the C&I segment itself appears stable, but growth appears modest compared to the dramatic rise in battery-related interest.
“This data confirms what we’ve been seeing for a while,” Orkestra co-Chief Executive Officer Chris Cooper said.
“C&I companies need to offer more than just solar to stay competitive. Batteries, financing, after-sales support, it’s all becoming essential. The good news is, for companies that can adapt, the outlook is very strong.”
Australia’s residential and utility scale energy markets have overshadowed the C&I segment but a recent report from research firm Nexa Advisory suggests the country’s warehouse rooftops alone could host 28 GW of additional solar capacity.
“The C&I sector is the sweet spot for solar and batteries,” Cooper said. “Unlike utility-scale projects that compete with agriculture or face community opposition, C&I sites offer abundant, already-developed real estate.”
He said it also makes economic sense with solar generation providing daytime load reductions plus peak demand savings that deliver bankable returns for businesses while batteries are particularly well suited to C&I settings with tariff arbitrage and demand reduction providing a solid revenue base.
Cooper said the census would help maximise the opportunities presented by the C&I solar and energy storage industry with the results to help to build a comprehensive view of the segment and establish critical industry benchmarks.
“The census is designed to capture what’s really happening on the ground,” he said. “We want your feedback to uncover what’s really working, your take on the emerging trends, and the barriers that are holding this sector back from taking centre stage.”
Orkestra said the census has already attracted strong participation from across the C&I sector, with installers, developers, and service providers weighing in but is encouraging more participants to contribute their insights. Participants can make submissions online with the survey open until 19 September 2025.
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