Analyst Insight: DER Year in Review

The deployment of distributed energy resources (DER) increased throughout 2021 and is forecast to continue growing steadily over the coming decade. Declining technology costs, new business models, and legislative action emphasizing decarbonatization and resilience are likely to drive adoption of DER over the forecast period. 2021 was a breakthrough year for countries removing barriers for DER to provide services to the grid. As more countries open the market to DER, the value proposition of DER is expected to increase.

Distributed solar PV continues to lead annual DER capacity installations, with EV charging expected to provide the second most capacity additions in the near term. The most significant update from the previous version of this report is an increase in expected EV charging adoption. Thanks to higher-than-expected market resiliency and a surge in government and corporate actions to decarbonize road transportation, Guidehouse Insights has revised its EV forecasting models toward more aggressive adoption rates. As a result, Guidehouse Insights has more than doubled its forecast for annual spending on EV charging infrastructure.

This Guidehouse Insights report covers 14 DER technologies grouped across four distinct parts of the value chain that generate, manage, and consume electricity. Despite their distinct characteristics, all of these technologies usually operate behind the meter (BTM) at customer facilities. In some cases, the technologies are owned and operated by actors outside traditional utilities, such as the technology owner or third-party service providers and aggregators.