PODCAST: Green recovery policy picks, ESS providers that aren’t Tesla, the solar panel arms race
Solar Media's Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the July 2020 episode of the Solar Media Podcast.
‘Batteries cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels’, UK grid operator flexibility project finds
Batteries can offer a cost-effective option for upward and downward reserve to the UK grid, a project run by AI and automation tech firm Arenko with transmission network operator National Grid ESO has found.
Energy storage in a post-pandemic world: Taking stock and preparing for future success – Part One
What will the impact of COVID-19 be on the energy storage market? And how best to learn to adapt to whatever the 'next normal' will be? Florian Mayr at cleantech advisory and consultancy group Apricum examines the bigger picture of “energy storage vs the virus”.
Solar farm fitted with batteries to meet grid output control requirements goes online in Japan
One of the first large-scale solar farms in Japan so far to be equipped with battery storage in order to meet the requirements of a local grid operator and utility, has been completed on the island of Hokkaido.
Solar-plus-storage with smart controls could cut 97% of evening peak, UK study finds
A combination of residential solar, storage and smart controls could "dramatically reduce" evening peak grid usage at homes in Britain.
European Parliament committee keen to boost role of energy storage in climate targets
A key committee of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has voted overwhelmingly to thrust energy storage into the heart of the continent’s decarbonisation agenda, while trade group EASE has urged the EU to raise its targets on 2030 emissions reduction.
Building battery storage systems to meet changing market requirements
Battery system integrators must navigate a broad array of technologies and varying market drivers when putting systems together. Andy Colthorpe speaks to Powin Energy and Sungrow about the engineering challenges involved in building lithium-ion battery storage.
Rely on FFR revenues alone and miss out big on revenues, UK asset owners warned
UK aggregator Kiwi Power is launching a ‘co-optimisation’ offering as it warns that relying on fast frequency response (FFR) could risk half of potential revenues.
Varta receives €300m funding to pilot large format Li-ion cells
Germany-headquartered battery manufacturer Varta will receive €300 million (US$338 million) of government funding to develop large format lithium-ion cells, which has been deemed a project of potentially strategic interest for Europe.
Energy storage ‘vital for carbon neutral Europe and Germany’s Green Deal’
Calls have been made across Europe for recognition and support for the vital role that energy storage can play in decarbonisation, reducing air pollution and contributing to a ‘green recovery’, both through legislation and industry sector activity.
Utility Portland General Electric launches 4MW virtual power plant pilot in Oregon
More than 500 residential energy storage batteries will be aggregated into a virtual power plant (VPP) by US utility Portland General Electric (PGE), with some participating households offered US$5,000 rebates on battery system purchases as well as money off their monthly electricity bills.
Digitising the solar revolution
Our ability to generate renewable energy is scaling up fast, and solutions to integrate that energy will rely on technologies like blockchain to help keep new solutions on track. Power Ledger’s executive chairman and co-founder, Dr Jemma Green, looks at the role blockchain plays within her company’s platform to integrate and automate solar energy trading and balancing.
With UL9540A safety certification, Powin Energy claims new pathways can open up
Powin Energy VP Danny Lu has said that attaining what is considered the highest standard in safety means that projects using the company’s Stack 225 battery storage system products can be executed faster and pack more capacity onto a single site.
Batteries replace diesel for jumpstarting Indiana natural gas plants
FlexGen, an energy storage system integrator that counts GE and Caterpillar among its backers, said this week that a lithium-ion battery storage system it was supplied was used by an Indiana utility to black start a 77MW natural gas plant.
Mitsubishi, Japanese telecoms co NTT step up focus on renewables, storage, EVs and energy management
Mitsubishi Corporation said today that it is partnering with major Japanese telecoms provider NTT to “study cooperation” in renewables, energy management using electric vehicles and battery energy storage, while according to reports, NTT is investing around US$1 billion a year in renewable energy up to 2030.
1.4GW of energy storage included in Tucson Electric Power’s coal retirement IRP
Arizona utility Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has set out plans to provide 70% of its power from solar and wind by 2035, backed up with investment in new energy storage capacity.