COVID19 and energy storage: Live updates
While we have avoided risking the spreading of false information or reacting too hastily to an ever-changing situation, here are some of the latest developments. This blog will be updated as and when new information or views arrive.
‘Virtual community meetings’ held for input on Hawaiian Electric’s 1,378GWh energy storage plan
Plans to build five large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) across the islands of Hawaii will come up for public input via web links and community TV channels.
Virtual Power Plant demonstration in Australia shows financial and network value of home batteries
Home batteries in a South Australia delivered significant revenues from their first six months of participation in a virtual power plant to help balance the grid, even with only an initial 1MW - 2MW of aggregated customer systems participating.
Fine tuning the hybrid proposition
Realising the theoretical promise of solar-wind-storage hybrids is far from straightforward, with individual projects likely to vary considerably. Ben Willis examines some of the technical complexities of combining different technologies into a single, profitable entity.
Illionis, Virginia wind farms add 72MWh of battery storage for PJM frequency regulation market
Technology provider Sinexcel has announced the successful commissioning of a 72MWh pair of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage projects in Illinois and West Virginia in the US, to deliver frequency regulation services to the PJM Interconnection service area.
COVID-19: UK listed fund Gore Street halts all construction of new assets
UK stock exchange-listed dedicated energy storage fund has suspended all construction on assets currently in the works as it also announces the completion of the 10MW Lower Road project in southern England.
California regulator includes long duration storage in roadmap to greenhouse gas reduction goals
An optimal power system portfolio for the US state of California that would drive the world’s fifth largest economy towards greenhouse gas reduction goals for 2030 and then to zero carbon by 2040, includes 1GW of long duration energy storage.
Socially distanced workers, semi-automated lines enable start for ‘Europe’s first ESS gigafactory’
Production of commercial energy storage systems has begun at Tesvolt’s new 255MWh annual capacity factory in Wittenberg, Germany, with staff working in isolation due to the risk of COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19: SimpliPhi Power ‘makes adjustments’ to reopen California factory
SimpliPhi Power closed down its manufacturing operations briefly due to the COVID-19 pandemic last week before reopening this week, having made adjustments to try and ensure the safety of workers.
Seeking the 2030 headline for California’s energy storage industry
California, the world’s fifth largest economy and a global innovation engine, is confronting ambitious clean energy and GHG reduction goals. California must achieve 60% renewable energy and 5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030, and a fully decarbonised power sector by 2045.
COVID-19: Smarter E Europe event, including Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, cancelled for 2020
Intersolar Europe 2020 and ees Europe have been cancelled as Europe continues to battle against the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, organisers Solar Promotion GmbH and FWTM GmbH have announced.
Portuguese 700MW solar auction includes price-capped energy storage option
An auction for 700MW of grid energy capacity in Portugal is being configured to allow bids from solar and also solar-plus-storage projects to participate on a competitive basis, with guaranteed payments for energy storage co-located projects to use a capping mechanism in the event of 'price spikes'.
How large-scale storage will facilitate the EV revolution
Jan Andersson, market development manager at Wärtsilä, explores the need for large-scale energy storage solutions to aid the proliferation of electric vehicles and their necessary charging infrastructure.
COVID-19: KORE Power says Chinese supply partner ‘resumed operations in Mid-march’
US-headquartered energy storage manufacturing startup KORE Power has said that its supply partner in China has resumed operations “and is presently working to meet KORE Power’s customer orders”.
NEC: Energy storage opportunity in Japan likely to ‘increase dramatically’
NEC Corporation representatives have said that while the domestic market opportunity for battery energy storage remains fairly small for the Japanese company, it is expected to “increase dramatically” within the next three years at commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility-scale.
#SmartSolarStorage2020: A developers’ eye view on North America
Last year saw large-scale storage come of age in the USA and Canada, with some heavyweight storage portfolios starting to take shape. Speaking to four leading North American developers, Andy Colthorpe takes the pulse of a market poised for growth.