24 June 2026

 

For most of the past two decades, the renewable energy industry has focused on deployment.

Solar modules became cheaper, battery costs declined and governments accelerated the rollout of renewable generation. Utility-scale projects that were once measured in megawatts are now measured in gigawatts.

In Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, periods of high solar and wind generation are becoming increasingly common. Grid operators, utilities and equipment manufacturers are therefore spending more time discussing system stability, frequency control and grid resilience alongside generation capacity.

This is evidenced across exhibition halls, conference sessions and product launches at Intersolar Europe 2026, where grid-forming technology is one of the most frequently discussed topics. 

 

Why spinning generators matter

 

Modern electricity grids were built around large synchronous generators.

Whether powered by coal, natural gas, nuclear fuel or flowing water, these machines share a common characteristic: large rotating turbines connected directly to the grid.

Those turbines generate electricity, but they also contribute to system stability. Their rotating mass helps maintain frequency and voltage within narrow operating limits, providing a stabilising effect that has been embedded in electricity networks for more than a century.

Solar farms and battery installations operate differently.

Solar panels produce direct current electricity. Batteries store energy chemically. Both rely on inverters and power electronics to connect to the grid.

Traditionally, these inverter-based systems synchronise themselves to an existing grid signal. The network establishes the operating conditions and the inverter responds to them.

As conventional power stations retire and renewable generation expands, fewer synchronous generators remain connected to the system. In countries with high levels of renewable penetration, including Australia and the United Kingdom, grid operators have already begun examining alternative ways of maintaining stability when large rotating machines are no longer the dominant source of generation.

 

From grid-following to grid-forming

 

Grid-forming technology is designed for that environment.

Unlike conventional grid-following inverters, grid-forming systems can actively establish and regulate voltage and frequency. Rather than relying entirely on an existing grid signal, they can contribute to creating and maintaining one.

The concept has existed in academic literature for years. It is now appearing in commercial battery projects, utility procurement processes and product roadmaps.

Manufacturers that previously concentrated on conversion efficiency increasingly discuss stability services, frequency response and grid support. Battery developers are marketing projects not only on storage capacity but also on their ability to provide operational services to the network.

A battery installation is therefore being asked to do more than store electricity for later use. In many cases, it is also being designed to support the operation of the wider system.

 

How Huawei is approaching grid-forming renewable energy systems

 

Huawei is among the high-profile companies using Intersolar Europe to showcase this approach. They are presenting an all-scenario grid-forming architecture that combines photovoltaic generation, battery storage and advanced control systems.

Huawei says these systems can contribute to voltage regulation, frequency support and grid recovery following disturbances. Its Smart String Grid-Forming Energy Storage System is designed around the idea that renewable energy assets should provide a broader range of services than electricity generation alone.

 

Why Siemens Energy, SMA, Sungrow and Fluence are investing in grid-forming technology

 

Similar language is appearing across the industry.

Energy storage companies increasingly describe battery projects in terms of system services, operational flexibility and grid support rather than storage capacity alone. Product launches that once focused primarily on battery chemistry or inverter efficiency now devote considerable attention to software, control systems and network stability.

German inverter specialist SMA has positioned grid-forming battery systems as part of its long-term vision for electricity networks with high levels of renewable generation.

Siemens Energy has invested heavily in technologies designed to allow inverter-based resources to provide functions traditionally associated with synchronous generators.

Chinese manufacturer Sungrow has demonstrated grid-forming power conversion systems capable of performing black-start operations, restoring voltage following a complete outage.

Fluence, one of the world's largest energy storage providers, has publicly argued that future battery projects will increasingly require grid-forming capabilities.

These companies compete intensely across global energy markets. Yet many are now working on the same problem: how to maintain stability in electricity systems where a growing share of generation comes from inverter-based resources.

 

Moving beyond pilot projects

 

The discussion is no longer confined to research laboratories and demonstration projects.

In Australia, grid-forming capabilities have already been incorporated into large-scale battery projects as part of efforts to support renewable-heavy electricity networks. National Grid in the United Kingdom has explored technologies capable of supplying stability services traditionally associated with synchronous generation.

Across Europe, utilities, regulators and transmission system operators are examining similar questions as renewable penetration increases.

Operational experience remains limited compared with conventional generation, and standards continue to evolve. Even so, the technology is increasingly appearing in commercial projects rather than research papers.

 

How software and AI are supporting grid-forming energy systems

 

The rise of grid-forming technology also highlights the growing role of software within energy infrastructure.

Modern battery projects generate vast quantities of operational data. Control systems continuously assess electricity demand, weather forecasts, battery performance and grid conditions.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to assist with forecasting, optimisation and system management, although the underlying challenge remains one of power electronics and grid control rather than AI itself.

As energy systems become more distributed and interconnected, software is assuming a larger role in coordinating assets that were once managed in relative isolation.

The trend mirrors developments in industries ranging from telecommunications to automotive manufacturing, where software increasingly determines how physical infrastructure performs.

 

A new phase of the energy transition

 

Much of the public conversation around renewable energy still focuses on generation capacity.

How many solar panels have been installed? How many wind turbines have been connected? How many gigawatt-hours of battery storage are under construction?

Walking through Intersolar Europe this year reveals a different set of questions.

How does a renewable-heavy grid maintain stability? Which technologies provide frequency control? What replaces the services historically supplied by large rotating generators?

Grid-forming technology has emerged as one of the industry's answers.

Whether supplied by Huawei, SMA, Siemens Energy, Sungrow, Fluence or other manufacturers, the objective is increasingly similar: enabling inverter-based resources to perform functions once associated with conventional power stations.

Building renewable generation was the first challenge.

Building a power system that can run on it is proving to be the next.

 

 

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