Grids & Integration

Scientists in Japan have investigated the impact of seasonal, metereological factors on solar plant performance and have found the average power generation inefficiency reached significant levels. The findings suggest that optimal site for power plants requires careful consideration of meteorological and geographical data.

An “Australian first” demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia, with the state’s principle electricity distributor to deliver smart energy upgrades for 500 households as part of a pilot program to coordinate power usage and support the grid.

Ministers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have agreed to connect their energy systems. They will lay an energy cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to facilitate the sale of green energy to Europe.

The so-called “network checker” will allow residential PV customers in Belgium to check if there have been any inverter failures in their local area. It comes after Belgian grid operator Fluvius launched a compensation scheme for those who are not reconnected within 30 working days of a curtailment.

Researchers in Sweden have investigated incentive programs for rooftop PV and proposed the adaptation of future schemes to different investor profiles.

UK Power Networks’ (UKPN) distribution system operator (DSO) is expediting grid connections for 25 UK projects, totaling 836 MW.

Researchers in Spain has found that combining PV power generation with fuel cells and battery storage may help homes considerably reduce their levelized cost of energy. Their simulation reportedly demonstrated homes may also become completely self-sufficient.

California is adding massive amounts of battery energy storage and the project pipeline shows no sign of slowing down. Batteries are playing an increasingly dominant role on the grid, soaking up solar in the middle of the day and shifting it to the evening peak, where they have become the biggest single supplier.

The Aswan High Dam Reservoir is one of the world’s largest water reservoir and suffers from high water evaporation rates due to the region’s very hot and dry climate. Floating PV installations may be a remedy, while also offering a good match for hydropower generation.

The Hungarian government has earmarked HUF 62 billion ($169 million) for grid-scale energy storage projects in a bid to facilitate further deployment of renewable energy sources.