Chinese-Canadian PV module manufacturer Canadian Solar has unveiled SolBank 4.0, a new utility-scale battery energy storage system, at SNEC 2026 in Shanghai.

The company presented the product as a high-density, long-duration storage platform designed for large-scale energy storage projects and backup power applications for AI data centers. It was launched alongside Canadian Solar’s self-developed string grid-forming PCS solution and its third-generation TOPCon module.

SolBank 4.0 is a 20-foot standardized liquid-cooled container with 6.25 MWh of DC capacity. Canadian Solar said the new system increases cell energy density by 25% compared with its previous generation, while improving overall station-level energy density by more than 40%. The company also said the higher integration level can reduce balance-of-system costs by around 20%.

The system is designed around a 1,500 V DC architecture and supports 2-hour, 4-hour and 8-hour applications. Canadian Solar said customized long-duration versions are intended for projects requiring discharge durations of more than four hours, including large storage plants and AI computing center backup power.

The company said SolBank 4.0 uses a new generation of LFP cells and a highly integrated system architecture. Its design is intended to reduce component count, improve container-level energy density and support lower lifecycle storage costs for utility-scale projects.

Thermal management is another focus of the system. Canadian Solar said SolBank 4.0 uses a liquid-cooling design and an upgraded battery management system with 24-hour active balancing. The BMS is designed to improve energy utilization, support predictive maintenance and maintain system availability over long operating periods.

The product also incorporates multi-layer safety features. Canadian Solar said SolBank 4.0 uses thermal insulation materials, multi-level fire detection and fire suppression, electrical protection and structural reinforcement for outdoor deployment. At the SNEC event, TÜV Rheinland issued a UL9540A thermal runaway safety assessment certificate for the system.

Canadian Solar added SolBank 4.0 supports fast response for grid services and can be paired with its self-developed grid-forming string PCS.

The company expects SolBank 4.0 to begin mass production and delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026, with initial products mainly targeting North America and Europe. Canadian Solar said these regions are seeing rising demand from AI data center power supply, long-duration storage and grid-support applications.

As of March 2026, Canadian Solar said it had delivered more than 20 GWh of energy storage systems globally and had an order backlog of about $3.5 billion. The company said it has built an integrated storage supply chain covering cells, packs, PCS, EMS, system integration, EPC and operations and maintenance.