Fluence promoted its Smartstack BESS platform, which combines a Smart Skid and battery pods
It can be configured for an energy backup range of 4 to 8 hours
This product is commercially available across the globe
As battery cell technologies, supply chain uncertainty, and local content regulations evolve, the demand is growing for storage capacity expansion within the same footprint while retaining the existing balance-of-plant (BoP). Fluence Energy, Inc., a US-based energy storage provider, addressed this market demand by expanding its battery energy storage system (BESS) platform, Smartstack, at Intersolar Europe 2026.
Unlike normal BESS that combine battery stacks and system controls within a container, its split architecture is based on a base platform, Smart Skid, and 4 modular battery units or pods. Smart Skid houses system control and monitoring systems, while the pods house storage, resulting in a 10 MWh BESS without expanding the footprint. According to the company, it can achieve a site-level energy density of up to 680 MWh/acre (168 kWh/m²) for a grid-scale storage project through redesigned battery pods. It can optimize BoP costs by up to 40% for a greenfield project, the company claimed.
On the performance side, it is designed to deliver a 3-phase full-load current of up to 2,058 A at 690 V AC for up to 4 hours, with a corresponding battery discharge rate of 0.25. This duration can also be configured to 6 and 8 hours.
From a real-time operational point of view, its built-in software, Fluence OS, controls, monitors, predicts, and improves the battery state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SOH) through modeling of operating data. Over time, this real-time visualization of usable energy helps users to take confident dispatch decisions while getting the most out of the storage system, the company noted. The company guarantees system availability up to 99% through its optional Smart Service Plans and a performance guarantee of up to 25 years.
In terms of safety, its modular, compartmentalized battery pod design limits the thermal exposure to adjacent pods and creates isolated containment zones during thermal runaways. It also features an integrated fire suppression system. The company says it was successfully tested at cell, pack, unit, and installation levels against large-scale Fire incidents and deflagration according to international standards.
This new BESS is commercially available worldwide.
