- Global energy storage system shipments reached 126.4 GWh in Q1 2026, rising 78.8% year on year despite a slight quarterly decline.
- BYD claimed the top position in global ESS shipments for the first time, while Huawei entered the top three and Tesla slipped to fifth place in utility scale storage rankings.
- Residential energy storage shipments soared 392.2% year on year, driven by strong demand in Australia and a recovering European market.
Global energy storage system (ESS) shipments reached 126.4 GWh in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 78.8% increase compared with the same period last year, according to the latest global ESS shipment rankings released by InfoLink Consulting. Shipments declined 6.2% compared with the previous quarter but remained at historically high levels as residential energy storage demand accelerated and markets outside China recorded broad based growth.
The latest data highlights a rapidly expanding market that remains highly competitive, with market leadership still evolving as suppliers race to capture new demand across global regions.
BYD emerged as the largest global ESS supplier by shipment volume in Q1 2026, followed by Sungrow, Huawei, Tesla and CRRC Zhuzhou Institute. Market concentration remains moderate, with the top five suppliers accounting for 41.4% of total shipments and the top 10 controlling 58.1% of the market.
According to InfoLink, the industry remains in a transitional phase where leading suppliers are strengthening their positions while mid tier competitors continue to gain ground. The report notes that competition is primarily focused on securing new market opportunities rather than taking share from existing competitors, limiting the emergence of severe price based competition despite rapid market growth.
A significant shift in the competitive landscape occurred during the quarter, with BYD topping the global rankings for the first time and Huawei entering the top three. Tesla, previously among the leading suppliers, temporarily dropped out of the top three positions. However, InfoLink expects BYD, Sungrow and Tesla to remain strong contenders for the leading positions throughout 2026.
The report identifies access to core markets as a critical factor for suppliers seeking to move into the industry’s top tier. Successful strategies include establishing dominance in key geographic regions, securing major anchor customers and targeting premium market segments before expanding into broader customer bases. Companies such as BYD in the Middle East, CRRC in China and Tesla in the United States have demonstrated the effectiveness of strong regional positioning.
Utility scale energy storage continued to be the primary growth engine for the sector. Global utility scale ESS shipments reached 103.7 GWh during the quarter, increasing 60.8% year on year despite declining 15.4% from the previous quarter.
BYD led the utility scale storage segment, followed by Sungrow, Huawei, CRRC Zhuzhou Institute and Tesla. Tesla’s decline to fifth place was one of the most notable developments within the utility scale market. The top five suppliers accounted for 44.9% of total utility scale ESS shipments.
The residential energy storage segment delivered the strongest growth performance during the quarter. Global residential ESS shipments reached 20.67 GWh, surging 392.2% year on year and 138.4% quarter on quarter.
Sigenergy emerged as the leading residential ESS supplier, ahead of Fox ESS, Deye, Tesla and Huawei. The top three positions were completely reshuffled during the quarter, with each of the leading suppliers recording shipments exceeding 2 GWh.
InfoLink expects residential energy storage demand to remain robust throughout 2026, supported by sustained installation activity in Australia and a broad based recovery across European markets. Suppliers with strong market positions in these regions are expected to continue reshaping the competitive landscape over the coming quarters.
Looking ahead, InfoLink has maintained its forecast for global ESS shipments to reach 600 GWh in 2026. The company expects strong growth to continue as energy storage deployment expands across multiple regions simultaneously.
The report also highlights the increasing importance of supply chain resilience and geographic diversification. As global demand broadens beyond China, manufacturers are being encouraged to strengthen supply chain management capabilities while accelerating expansion into emerging international markets.
The rankings are based on data collected through regular interviews with companies across the energy storage value chain. Where suppliers did not provide shipment data directly, InfoLink developed estimates based on market research and industry intelligence.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
