On February 12, 2026, the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine held an open online meeting of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Committee together with an SEAU partner, Huawei Ukraine, titled: “Can Huawei BESS Replace a Hybrid Inverter? Two Worlds — BESS and Hybrids: So Close and Yet So Different”.
The event focused on the practical differences between hybrid solutions and full-scale energy storage systems and generated significant market interest, bringing together more than 80 participants.
The meeting was moderated by Serhii Ruchko, Head of the SEAU BESS Committee. The presentation was delivered by Oleksandr Alokhin, Head of the Digital Power Division at Huawei Ukraine.
At the core of the discussion was a question increasingly faced by developers, businesses, and communities: can a combination of a hybrid inverter and a battery perform the functions of a full-fledged energy storage system, and where exactly lies the boundary between these two approaches.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that hybrid inverters are an effective solution for relatively simple tasks — backup power, partial self-consumption, or small commercial facilities. At the same time, participants thoroughly examined scenarios in which such solutions begin to create technical and economic constraints for a project.
Oleksandr Alokhin highlighted that the key difference between hybrids and BESS lies not only in capacity, but also in system architecture philosophy:
“A hybrid is a solution for a single facility. An BESS is already an element of the power system that operates under entirely different rules in terms of cycling, controllability, and responsibility for system stability”.
Special attention was paid to battery lifetime, number of cycles, scalability, fire safety, installation requirements, and control systems. It was emphasized that in large-scale and long-term projects, these factors determine the true cost of a solution over its entire life cycle — not just the initial investment.
Another important topic was typical mistakes made when selecting equipment. In particular, the discussion addressed the risks of focusing solely on minimal CAPEX without considering future costs, battery degradation, efficiency losses, and functional limitations.
“Most problems arise when a hybrid solution is used for tasks it was not designed for. In such cases, the system begins to ‘break’ the project itself”, the speaker noted.
Participants also discussed areas of overlap between the two approaches — situations where both hybrids and BESS can be applied, provided there is a clear understanding of project objectives. A list of key questions to be addressed at the design stage was outlined to help avoid systemic errors in the future.
SEAU notes that the high level of participant interest and active discussion confirm the relevance of energy storage for the Ukrainian market — both in the segment of self-consumption solar power plants and in industrial, agricultural, and municipal projects.
The Solar Energy Association of Ukraine extends its sincere thanks to speaker Oleksandr Alokhin for a comprehensive and practice-oriented presentation, to moderator Serhii Ruchko for constructive and insightful questions, and to all participants for an active and substantive discussion.