As we closed out the first quarter of 2022, the energy storage industry continued to show stunning growth. When scrolling through the news, reading studies, and attending events, one can’t help but notice how critical battery energy storage is to a myriad of markets and industries. As innovative technologies emerge at a breakneck pace, they reveal three key trends in both market priorities and the sector’s current and future direction.

Vitaliy Daviy is the CEO of emerging markets focussed cleantech organization IB Centre Inc. and holds an optimistic view of Ukraine’s sector after the war. According to him, the country has the keys to energy independence and security.

On Feb. 10 in Belfort, President Emanuel Macron announced his vision for the French global energy industry to 2050. He reaffirmed France’s desire to massively develop renewable energies as intermittent sources on top of the baseload provided by the nuclear industry whose revitalization has already made headlines since. Macron claimed they are “the only means to meet [our immediate energy needs] in a profitable and competitive way”. By 2050, the capacity of the French solar park should be multiplied by more than 10 to exceed 100GWp, while the onshore wind capacity could double to reach 37GW. Offshore wind power should also experience a real take-off as France aims to develop and build 40GW over the same period.

As the world woke up to the news of war in Ukraine, the German Bundestag called a special session at which the finance minister, Christian Lindner, announced a package of measures in response to the crisis. A key plank, he said, would be a new focus on renewables.

This year International Women’s Day focuses on #BreakingTheBias and celebrating women’s achievements and increasing visibility in schools, universities, communities, and workplaces. One of the sectors where the participation of women needs a boost is the energy sector, says Evrydiki Fekka, Head of Lithium Batteries Product Management at Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems. In this article, she argues that women are key to unlocking a greener future for our energy needs.

The clean power numbers published annually by the International Renewable Energy Agency provide a snapshot of the global solar market and, this year, a lot of figures were unchanged from the previous dataset, especially in the off-grid segment.

Covid-19 has left Shunfeng International’s accountants unable to publish its official 2021 numbers on time, but its estimated figures announced a net current liability of almost $155 million and a “capital deficiency” of near $140 million.

Polysilicon maker Xinte is forging ahead with a huge expansion strategy just as solar developers at the opposite end of the industry continue to bleed cash.

Lack of locally-denominated finance, and of sufficiently long-term loans, are well established hurdles to the development of photovoltaics in Africa.

A decade on from energy rationing, head of state Sheikh Hasina is poised to announce the achievement of an historic goal which has been made possible with the help of off-grid photovoltaics.

Scientists in the United Arab Emirates have looked at how off-grid rooftop PV could be combined with batteries, fuel cells or reversible solid oxide cells for energy storage. The modeling assumed a typical commercial building in Los Angeles.

Indian developer Greenko has started building a hybrid energy storage project with 10.8 GWh of daily pumped storage, 3 GW of solar, and 550 MW of wind.

Sembcorp has agreed to supply 33 MW of wind-solar hybrid power for Saint-Gobain’s factories in India.

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has shared its findings on the use of perovskite materials to produce renewable hydrogen, while a number of entities have announced new projects in Europe, North America, and China.

Longi has revealed plans to build a new panel factory in Anhui province, China Huaneng Group has announced a 1.3 GW renewables project in Heilongjiang province, and JinkoSolar has issued a warning about rising polysilicon prices.

UK solar specialist Lightsource is developing a 150 MW solar park at a fishery in Budai, in Taiwan’s Chiayi county. Construction is expected to commence in June 2023.

APsystems has developed a new 97%-efficient microinverter with a power output of up to 2,000 VA. It says it is particularly suitable for PV systems with high-power solar modules.

German scientists have developed a way to cut semi-fabricates into desired shapes and then apply a conductive oxide-metal-oxide electrode with the preferred color. They can structure the elements into modules via the backend interconnection process.

Tata Power Solar has secured an engineering, procurement and construction contract for a 300 MW solar project under India’s Central Public Sector Undertaking scheme. The project, awarded by state-owned hydropower producer NHPC, will be located in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

German startup We Do Solar is gearing up to deliver its first balcony solar modules to customers in the next three weeks. pv magazine caught up with one of the founders at Intersolar Europe 2022 to learn more about the kit, which features a 1.6 kg flexible solar module people can install themselves, and three innovative business models.

South Korean scientists have built a vertical three-dimensional fiber-optic solar-cell system with greater maximum efficiency than planar solar modules, as well as a lower surface requirement.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales have made a major breakthrough in what was previously conceived of only in theoretical terms – namely, “nighttime” solar power.

Ambient Photonics will build a fully automated manufacturing facility to produce solar cells for powering consumer electronics.

US scientists have developed a way to remove snow and ice from solar panels at a much faster rate than conventional approaches. It is based on a glass coating on a film with high optical transparency and superhydrophobicity.

Origin Energy has secured planning approval for a 700 MW/2,800 MWh grid-connected battery to be developed at the site of its coal-fired Eraring power station in the Australian state of New South Wales.

Alliaverre wants to move a 600 MW solar glass plant to Amiens, France, to reduce European customer delivery times, as it faces rising shipping prices and manufacturing constraints in Asia.

Indian scientists have developed a system under which a pumped-hydro facility stores grid electricity during off-peak hours by pumping water to an upper reservoir. During peak hours, the system feeds the load, rather than taking power from the grid.

pv magazine summarizes the products we covered at the recent Smarter E exhibition, in the first of a series of reports on all of the new releases from the annual trade fair in Munich, Germany.

Switzerland-based Novartis has deployed a 36 kW building-integrated PV facade on its new exhibition center in Basel. The system features 10,680 organic PV modules from France’s Asca.

Photowatt’s new bifacial modules rely on 132 half cells, measuring 210 mm, with power outputs of 600 W to 660 W. The new products will be available from early 2023, with about 40 MW of orders already booked.

South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution presented its latest innovations at the Smarter E event in Munich last week. It also announced its transition from nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery chemistry to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in its future products.

Portuguese utility EDP has switched on a new 5 MW floating solar array at the Alqueva hydropower dam.

German researchers have developed a new shape-stabilized phase change material with the ability to store up to five times more thermal energy than commercially available PCMs.

ACE Green Recycling has announced plans to build a new plant in Texas to recycle both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.

Intersolar 2022 has provided FoxESS the ideal opportunity to showcase its all-in-one storage system, the sleek and compact design of which allows for advanced performance, ease of installation and suitability to both indoor and outdoor settings.