26 October 2026

Solar + Storage in Your 2027 CAPEX Plan: Why in Latvia They Go Hand in Hand

Q4 is when next year’s budgets are set. A project approved now can be designed, financed and installed before spring. In today’s Latvian market, however, the question is no longer just “solar or not”. The stronger business case is solar and a battery (BESS), planned together.

1. Why solar alone is no longer enough in Latvia

Latvia now has more than 1,000 MW of solar connected to the Sadales tīkls network. On sunny middays this floods the market: summer prices can fall to zero or below, then climb again in the evening. The gap between the cheapest and dearest hour of the day often exceeds EUR 150/MWh.

• Without storage, surplus solar is exported at exactly the hours when it is worth least.
• With storage, the same kWh is used or sold later, when it is worth most. About one in five Latvian solar plants already has a battery.

2. What the battery adds to the business case

• Higher self-consumption: midday surplus covers evening and early-morning loads.
• Peak shaving: lower capacity and network charges, and possibly no costly connection upgrade.
• Price arbitrage: charge in cheap hours, discharge in expensive ones.
• Balancing services: since the Baltic grids synchronised with continental Europe in 2025, batteries can earn extra income from grid reserve markets, usually via an aggregator.
• Backup power for critical loads.

3. Financing: one programme covers both

ALTUM’s business greening programme combines a capital discount of up to 30% (max. EUR 300,000 per group) with loans of up to EUR 1 million for up to 20 years, or a bank loan with an ALTUM guarantee. Solar and batteries qualify together. From 16 November 2026 it opens to companies in Rīga and Pierīga and to large companies nationwide, while the EUR 7.8 million budget lasts. Requirements include at least 30% primary energy savings, confirmed by an energy audit or certificate, and works may not start before applying.

4. Plan and budget it as one project

• Nov–Dec: hourly consumption data, site survey, joint PV + BESS sizing, energy audit.
• Jan–Feb: financing application, grid connection request, procurement.
• Mar–Apr: installation and commissioning, ready for peak season.
• Budget line: EPC for PV and BESS, connection fees, design and audit, and O&M of about 1–2% of CAPEX per year.

The bottom line

In a market where solar output pushes midday prices down, the value lies in controlling when energy is used. Solar produces the energy; the battery decides when it is worth the most. Plan them together this quarter and run them from spring.

Planning your 2027 budget? Sunwise can model solar and storage together for your site, with payback and financing route. Contact us at info@sunwise.lv.