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.
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.
After bushfires, batteries seen as wise investment in Australia
“The bottom line is that this is a good business decision. We will get back our money in eight to 10 years at the current price of power. As the price of energy goes up, we’ll pay it back even quicker.”
High safety level, ease of recyclability makes flow batteries ‘very promising’ in circular economy
When lithium-ion’s dominance of the energy storage market begins to wane, redox flow batteries are well positioned as a strong competitor, emerging technology market research and business intelligence group IDTechEx has said.
ENGIE EPS: Revenue guidance unconfirmed, ‘still too early to asses COVID-19 impact’
Microgrid and energy storage project technology provider ENGIE EPS has said it cannot commit to a 2020 earnings target, although 2019 revenues showed a 29% increase on the previous year.
Joined at the hip: A hybrid future for onshore renewables
With industry heavyweights eyeing up developments of solar-wind-storage projects, Liam Stoker uncovers what’s really driving hybrid power plants, and the regulatory and financing hurdles that must be surpassed to deliver them.
Australia’s new community solar, solar-storage, ‘solar hydro’ and solar hydrogen projects
In the past couple of weeks, national and state government organisations in Australia have announced various stages of development for solar projects with a range of advanced and innovative storage solutions attached.
COVID-19: Solar and storage installs considered ‘essential services’ in locked-down California
Installing and maintaining renewable energy resources can be viewed as an “essential service”, according to the California Solar + Storage Association (CALSSA).