Poland pulls back building rules threatening residential battery storage

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has confirmed it will not advance provisions from a draft regulation prepared by the Ministry of Development and Technology that industry groups said would have restricted battery storage deployment across residential and commercial buildings.

According to industry associations and Polish media reports, the May 13 draft proposed new technical conditions for buildings that industry groups said would have prohibited storage installations in apartments and on balconies of multi-family buildings. It also proposed capping combined storage capacity at 600 kWh per fire zone in buildings not dedicated to energy storage.

Installing larger systems would have required the creation of separate fire compartments, generating costs of tens of thousands of Polish zloty before any battery was commissioned, claimed industry groups.

Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka said in a May 29 ministry statement that the proposed regulation was not designed to restrict the development of solar or energy storage, and no provisions interfering with prosumer installations would be included. The statement cited blackouts in Spain and Portugal as the basis for the regulation, adding that any emergency provisions would apply only in the most serious crisis situations.

Barbara Adamska, president of the Polish Energy Storage Association, described the working group’s output as disappointing, saying industry input had been only minimally reflected in successive drafts despite strong engagement from the sector.

Krzysztof Kochanowski, president of the Polish Chamber of Energy Storage and Electromobility, said the group’s work had been confidential, with disclosure of details punishable by a PLN 50,000 ($13,600) fine. He argued that this hindered the development of effective regulations.

Maciej Borowiak, president of Stowarzyszenie Branży Fotowoltaicznej i Magazynowania Energii (SBFiME), a solar and storage industry association, said the provisions as proposed would have meant the end of storage in homes, apartments, and small businesses.

The reversal comes as Poland navigates a broader regulatory transition for energy storage. A draft grid law drew industry warnings in January over its potential to slow solar and storage investment, while the nation raised its permit-free energy storage threshold to 30 kWh in November 2025.