ROUNDUP: NeoVolta’s SGIP+ITC win, Northvolt-Vattenfall’s new Voltpack, ArcVera launches ESS services
This week's roundup of news in brief from around the world in energy storage focuses on recent products and services launches.
Residential
Feature
Guest blog
Three ways we could improve lithium-ion batteries
While the performance of lithium batteries has increased tremendously, there's still room for improvement to lower cost, increase sustainability and maximise their impact on decarbonisation, says Marcos Ierides, consultant and materials expert at innovation consultancy Bax & Company.
‘Feasible community-scale decarbonisation’: LA neighbourhood gets blockchain-backed energy solution
With the award of funding from the California Energy Commission, advanced energy hardware and software including solar-plus-storage, blockchain and EV charging stations will help demonstrate the feasibility of decarbonising a disadvantaged community in Los Angeles.
India sees battery cell, solar PV manufacturing as ‘Champion Sectors’ of national self-reliance
The government of India has announced measures to promote new “Champion Sectors” of economic growth, including support incentives for advanced battery cell and solar PV manufacturing.
PODCAST: Leading technologies, leading players, the contenders and more from our online conference
Why the real competition is fossil fuels, which battery optimisation strategies yield the best returns and bringing safety rules and guidelines to the attention of first-responders are among the topics discussed on the latest special episode of the Solar Media podcast.
‘Opportunity to demonstrate value of residential battery systems’: Sunverge picked for Maryland VPP
Residential energy storage provider Sunverge has won out in a competitive bidding process to provide systems and software for a proposed virtual power plant (VPP) project in Maryland in the US.
G20 business leaders’ energy transition investments are focusing on battery storage, EVs
A survey of over 2,000 “senior business leaders” in G20 countries has found that electric vehicles and battery storage are the most popular assets to invest in among non-power generation technologies in the energy sector.
IREC publishes guide for assessing economic and environment benefits of distribution grid upgrades
A new guide has been published in the US to “help stakeholders assure prudent use of funds by electric utilities” when it comes to upgrading the distribution grid.
Q CELLS promises households ‘100% eco-friendly electricity’
Q CELLS has officially launched a home solution that promises a “100% sustainable power supply,” through combining solar and battery storage to meet the majority of demand and a digital cloud solution to cover the rest.
Tesla installed 260MWh of energy storage in Q1 2020
Tesla has kept financial losses at bay in the first quarter of 2020, but battery storage deployments fell significantly from the previous quarter.
European grid operators launch blockchain-based flexibility platform
Three European Transmission System Operators (TSO) have collaborated to launch a new, blockchain-based flexibility platform, Equigy.
Feature
Analysis
Smart neighbourhood, smart microgrid
Microgrids can offer a resilient and secure alternative for both rural and city communities. Molly Lempriere looks at some of the microgrids around the world that are transforming the way neighbourhoods produce and consume electricity.
Feature
Editor's blog
Spot the difference: Europe and North America’s energy storage markets
Why have battery energy storage and solar-plus-storage become such a key part of the US energy industry in a way that they have not in Europe, as yet? Corentin Baschet at technical consultancy and market analysis firm Clean Horizon took some of our questions.
Australia ROUNDUP: Victoria rebate scheme, Vanadium mining, Neoen’s even bigger ‘Big Battery’
A roundup of news in brief from one of the world's hottest markets for energy storage - Australia.
Emergency revisions to Massachusetts solar programme include energy storage mandate
Massachusetts has issued an emergency regulation to its Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) programme, that includes mandating the addition of energy storage on projects over 500kW.
COVID-19: ‘Essential services’ decree in Italy allows factory reopening, says Manz
“We are happy about the Italian government's decision that allows us to fully resume business operations in Italy,” Manz AG CEO Martin Drasch has said, following a ruling that deems lithium-ion battery production to be of ‘strategic importance’ for the European country.