PODCAST: Batteries vs California’s heatwave woes, polysilicon pricing and solar, lithium-ion safety

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

Liam Stoker and Andy Colthorpe return for the August 2020 episode of the Solar Media podcast, reflecting on the biggest news stories from the global solar and energy storage ecosystems.

Up for discussion this month are California’s ongoing heatwave and its impact on energy demand and storage, why looming volatility in the cost of polysilicon should be on everyone’s radar, and what we should be taking from the increasing costs of managing grids worldwide.

The podcast can be streamed below:

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Alternatively, you can subscribe and listen to the podcast on the Solar Media Editor’s Channel, which is now on all popular audio channels, including;

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Google Podcasts

3 November 2026
Málaga, Spain
Understanding technology and supplier selection for Europe’s utility-scale PV market in 2027. PV ModuleTech Europe 2026 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of PV module, inverter and battery supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, supply chain traceability, quality assurance, factory auditing, system reliability, and supplier bankability.

Read Next

October 9, 2026
South Africa’s government has put battery storage and power-to-gas technologies at the heart of the national long-term electricity supply and demand strategy.
October 9, 2026
South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) has unveiled its KRW1,000 trillion (US$747 billion) Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) industrial strategy.
October 8, 2026
Annual battery energy storage system (BESS) failures per-deployed-GWh declined 98% globally between 2018 and 2025, as installed BESS capacity grew exponentially.
October 7, 2026
The first half of the year saw mixed results among China’s leading ESS suppliers, though generally the industry is still performing strongly, writes PV Tech ESS analyst Charlotte Gisbourne. 
October 7, 2026
US energy holding company and project developer-owner NextEra Energy has suspended operations at two energy storage facilities in Long Island, New York, US.