The Ørsted Skjern solar farm - Ørsted bets on hybrid energy storage

The Ørsted Skjern solar farm sits low on the flat Jutland landscape, rows of dark-blue panels glinting as a wind gust rattles the nearby hedges. The Ørsted engineers on site talk about the hum of inverters as if it were a heartbeat for the local grid.

Hybrid solar-storage in Denmark

Ørsted Skjern solar farm is a utility-scale photovoltaic project developed by Ørsted in western Denmark, designed to operate alongside the company’s nearby onshore wind and grid assets. The site adds new solar capacity to a region long dominated by turbines.

The farm uses fixed-tilt solar arrays oriented to maximize annual energy yield under Danish skies, trading peak summer output against consistent performance across cloudy seasons. Around the field, local project manager Morten Hansen points to string inverters that feed medium-voltage transformers lined up like compact metal cabinets.

Battery-backed grid support

At Skjern, Ørsted couples the solar arrays with a lithium-ion battery system housed in white container units, adding short-term storage and frequency support to the regional grid. Project documents describe the batteries as providing rapid-response balancing services within seconds.

Ørsted’s technology lead on the project, Lars Nørgaard, explains that the battery can absorb surplus midday production and release it at evening peaks, helping reduce curtailment on windy days. The company highlights this hybrid setup as a model for future Danish and northern European sites.

Dimensions, output and technology choices

The Ørsted Skjern solar farm is reported to cover tens of hectares of agricultural land converted to energy production, with a DC capacity in the tens of megawatts range according to regional planning filings. Ørsted’s filings describe multi-megawatt battery power paired with several hours of energy storage.

Module specifications point to modern bifacial or high-efficiency monofacial panels mounted on steel frames anchored in the sandy soil typical for the Skjern area. Inverters and transformers are clustered to minimize cable losses while keeping service roads accessible for maintenance crews.

Local integration and regulation

Regional authorities in Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality approved the solar and storage project under Denmark’s planning and environmental rules, following public consultations on visual impact and land use. Noise studies examined the faint transformer hum and inverter cooling fans against existing wind turbine acoustic levels.

Grid connection documentation from Danish TSO Energinet shows the Skjern installation tied into the local distribution network, with protections and control systems aligned to national codes for non-synchronous generation and battery assets. Ørsted’s control center can dispatch the battery in coordination with other Danish assets.

Revenue mix and market exposure

On the revenue side, Ørsted typically combines power purchase agreements, merchant electricity sales and ancillary services markets for battery-equipped sites like Skjern. The company’s investor presentations show hybrid solar-storage as a tool to smooth cash flows compared with pure merchant wind.

The Ørsted share (ISIN DK0061539921), listed in Copenhagen and traded in Danish kroner, reflects this shift toward diversified renewables including onshore solar and storage alongside the company’s established offshore wind portfolio.