But, says James, it has an important "iconic" value - both for the protesters and for those who wish to see it being built.

BBC: Showdown looms for 'climate camp'

More important, storage has several potential value streams, said Lin in a presentation at Intersolar.

FORBES: Energy Storage Critical to Solar Industry

"The most important thing is that Proton has now moved up the value chain and has collected the intellectual property, " says industry analyst Reza Mutalib of Merrill Lynch in Kuala Lumpur.

CNN: Local Win, Global Worries