Cubenergy has launched FlexCombo 2.0, a scalable battery energy storage system for utility, commercial, and industrial applications, offering up to 16 MWh capacity with LFP batteries. Its modular design, advanced BMS, and cloud-based operations enable easy installation, seamless expansion, and efficient grid integration, according to the manufacturer.

Cubenergy, a Chinese manufacturer of battery energy storage systems (BESS), has introduced a new energy block designed for utility, commercial, and industrial (C&I) applications.

The product, named FlexCombo 2.0, uses the company’s 835 kWh FlexCombo D2 batteries. It is available in three configurations: 10, 12, or 12 batteries, providing a total capacity of 8 MWh, 10 MWh, or 16 MWh, respectively.

“With the FlexCombo D2 modular design and parallel architecture, FlexCombo’s core advantage lies in its long-term scalability,” the company said in a statement. “It enables seamless capacity growth and effortless integration with power generation systems (PGS), simplifying deployment and accelerating delivery for ultimate flexibility.”

The FlexCombo D2 batteries feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, offering a lifespan of 8,000 cycles at 70% capacity retention, according to the manufacturer.

Each battery measures 2 m x 1.68 m x 2.55 m and has a weight of up to eight tons. They carry an IP55 protection rating. Each block also comes with a power conversion system (PCS) rated at 430 kW AC with an IP66 protection grade. Optional medium-voltage (MV) transformers are available, with AC power ratings of either 8,800 kVA or 5,250 kVA.

“The FlexCombo 2.0 is designed primarily for utility and C&I applications, including renewable energy arbitrage, stand-alone grid stabilization, factories, and commercial buildings,” the company stated. “This integrated, easy-to-install BESS can be quickly connected and aligned with project requirements, while the advanced Active Balancing battery management system (BMS) and cloud-based operations provide a superior user experience.”

The new Tesla Solar Panel and mounting system pairs with the company’s inverter, Powerwall battery, EV charging and vehicles, creating an all-Tesla residential solar offering for the first time.

From pv magazine USA

In the residential solar sector, the industry has long sought the “holy grail” of vertical integration, creating a single point of contact for hardware, software, and energy management.

While Tesla has been a dominant player in storage with the Powerwall, a market leader with its inverter, and in electric vehicles, the company has historically relied on third-party solar panels.

With the launch of the Tesla Solar Panel (TSP-415 and TSP-420), the company is closing that loop. The company’s new modules, assembled at its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York, represent a significant shift toward a proprietary, integrated ecosystem designed to solve the common rooftop challenges of shading, aesthetic clutter, and installation friction.

“This panel completes the full package of the residential energy ecosystem,” Colby Hastings, senior director, Tesla Energy, told pv magazine USA. “It is based on our long history of innovation and engineering when it comes to solar.”

Domestic manufacturing

Tesla said the new modules are assembled at its Buffalo, NY facility, the same site where it continues to produce Solar Roof components, which inspired the design of the panel. The factory is currently scaling to an initial capacity of over 300 MW per year.

This domestic assembly allows Tesla to leverage federal manufacturing incentives while securing a local supply chain for its growing network of installers.

Power zones

The most technically significant departure from industry norms in the TSP series is the implementation of 18 independent “Power Zones.” Standard residential modules typically utilize three bypass diodes, creating six distinct zones. In traditional architectures, a single shadow from a chimney or vent pipe can effectively “shut down” large swaths of a string’s production.

Tesla’s design essentially triples the granularity of the module. By dividing the electrical architecture into 18 zones, the panel behaves more like a digital screen with a higher pixel count; if one “pixel” is shaded, the remaining 17 continue to harvest energy at near-peak efficiency.

While high-density substring architectures have been explored in the utility space, Tesla’s specific 18-zone layout is unique to the residential market, engineered to deliver optimizer-like performance without the added cost and potential failure points of module-level power electronics (MLPE) on the roof.

Inverters, batteries, and mounts

The TSP modules are designed to pair specifically with the Tesla Solar Inverter and Powerwall 3. While Tesla offers these as a unified “Home Energy Ecosystem,” they are not strictly sold as a single, inseparable bundle. However, the hardware is optimized to work as a package; for instance, the panel’s 18-zone design is specifically tuned to perform with Tesla’s string inverter technology.

Tesla is not keeping this technology exclusive to its own crews. While Tesla’s direct installation business leads the rollout, the package is available to Tesla’s network of over 1,000 certified installers.

This “installer-first” approach is further evidenced by the new Tesla Panel Mount. The new rail-less mounting system, made of black anodized aluminum alloy, uses the module frame itself as the structural rail.

By eliminating traditional rails and visible clamps, Tesla said the system is 33% faster to install. The mount sits closer to the roof and is enhanced by aesthetic front and side skirts, maintaining the “minimalist” look Tesla consumers expect.

Product specs

The modules are competitive with the current Tier 1 market, pushing into the 20% efficiency bracket while maintaining a robust mechanical profile, said the company.

 The new Tesla Solar Panels are now available nationwide. 

Solar roof 

For those wondering about the Tesla Solar Roof, the company maintains that the glass tile product remains a core part of its “premium” offering for customers needing a full roof replacement.

The cascading cell technology used in the new TSP modules, which overlaps cells to eliminate visible silver busbars, was originally designed in its Solar Roof product. Tesla is essentially taking the aesthetic and electrical innovations of its luxury roof product and integrating it into a traditional module form factor.

Virtual power plant

Tesla also highlighted the ability for virtual power plant (VPP) participation to increase value for its customers. VPPs coordinate the dispatch of energy stored in Powerwalls, acting as a distributed energy network. 

“We’re working more closely with utilities than ever to ensure that these assets participate in virtual power plants and support the grid and opening up new value streams, both for utilities and consumers that have these assets at home,” said Hastings. “We announced recently that we have a million Powerwalls deployed worldwide and 25% of those are enrolled in a virtual power plant program of some kind.”

Market strategy

The timing of this launch comes at a volatile moment for U.S. solar. With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA), the industry is navigating the early expiration of the 25D residential credit at the end of 2025 and the sunsetting of the 48E commercial credit.

Tesla’s move now is an opportunistic play for standardization and soft-cost reduction. By controlling the entire stack, Tesla can drive down customer acquisition and labor costs, which currently represent the largest portion of a system’s price tag.

“Utility rates across the country are going up, electricity is becoming increasingly unaffordable for homeowners,” said Hastings. “We’re still very bullish on the future of distributed energy here in the United States.”

Helioplant will leverage SolarEdge’s inverter and power optimization technology to power its cross-shaped bifacial solar system specially designed for snowy Alpine regions with high elevation. They anticipate ski resorts will be a big market for the solution which uses SolarEdge's technology to overcome shading issues caused by the cross-structure.

The first large-scale installation combining SolarEdge technology and Helioplant’s design is already under construction, and on completion the 6.3 MW system will power three ski resorts in Sölden, Austria.

SolarEdge and Helioplant foresee significant demand for their system from ski resorts located in snowy, mountainous areas where conventional PV installations are a challenge. Standard linear PV systems tend to lose productivity with extreme Alpine conditions, such as snow drifts caused by rapidly changing wind conditions. They are also often difficult, and therefore more expensive, to build in challenging terrain areas.

Helioplant’s cross design, which resembles a tree or a flagpole with four wings, features 15 or 16 bifacial modules depending on the slope. The cross-shaped structure creates air turbulence even at low wind speeds, which prevents snow build-up from accumulating and decreasing efficiency. Snow around the base of the tree-like structure reflects light to the underside of the modules to further boost energy yields in what is known as the albedo effect.

Helioplant piloted an installation with 12 bifacial tree-like structures at 2,850 m in Sölden underneath the Tiefenbach glacier in Austria’s Ötztal Valley in 2023. The PV system powered a ski-lift for an entire season, reducing reliance on grid electricity. It was powered by SolarEdge’s technology.

The 6.3 MW installation now under construction in Austria has around 800 of Helioplant’s structures set at an altitude of 2,850 m to 3,000 m. Completion is expected in the second half of this year, and the installation will cover around one third of the three ski resorts’ annual energy needs – approximately 28 GWh.

Patrick Janak, Head of C&I DACH at SolarEdge said that by combining Helioplant's bifacial structures with SolarEdge inverter and power optimizer technology, the two companies “are bringing superior economics to the table to unlock this largely untapped market.” He claimed that conventional PV systems would not work in this scenario.

“Bifacial PV systems are ideal for alpine regions because they can capture both direct sunlight and reflected light from snow, boosting overall energy yields. With our patented cross-shaped support structure, our solar panels stay snow-free providing maximum yields of clean solar energy to offset the high electricity demands of busy ski resorts. With around 6,000 ski resorts worldwide, there is enormous market potential,” said Florian Jamschek, Co-Founder of Helioplant.

Jamschek added that SolarEdge's technology made it possible to address the problem of shading on the panels which he said is exacerbated by the tree-like structure. “While our tree-like structure for bifacial PV addresses the challenges of solar in high-altitude alpine regions, it also is susceptible to more shading on the panels. The only solution to overcome this problem and maximize energy yields was to incorporate SolarEdge technology. This means we can deliver on our promise to supply reliable and stable clean energy that ski resorts can rely on to offset their high energy demands.”