Saltwater batteries can be fully recycled receiving a “cradle to cradle” certificate, and don’t contain lead or lithium. For some, this prevails over the disadvantages of saltwater batteries being considerably bigger and heavier, as well as having a lower discharging current than lithium-ion batteries.

The EPC has been operating in the Dutch market for a while. It expects to commission 150 MW of solar PV over the next two to three years. In related news, a total of 772 dairy farms are participating in the FrieslandCampina Solar program.

The market experienced strong growth in nearly all states. Scandinavian countries lead the charge, but Germany showed strong growth in the first half of 2018, analysts report. An uptake in EV sales might result in profound effects on their use as flexible storage units, recent reports and interviews suggest.

A 15 MW solar PV system at Westcott business park is on track to becoming what has been described as the U.K.’s first unsubsidized C&I PV system.

Pacifico Energy is set to commence construction on two utility-scale PV projects totaling 112 MW and 72 MW, respectively, while Trina Solar is working on a 29 MW plant.

A report by Technavio suggests the global market for battery materials could grow 9% annually in the next four years. Analysts point to the increasing installation of storage systems with PV as a key driver. pv magazine has covered previous reports predicting significant growth in PV and storage systems.

Adding energy-intensive industries to microgrids can help refinance system costs and can lower tariffs for residential consumers, a study suggests. To achieve this though, accurate system design and sizing are essential.

PUC Distribution contracted Fluence to install energy management and storage systems that would allow business in a city in Ontario to reduce high peak-load charges. It is hoped this will reduce costs and help Canada hit its strict carbon emissions mandate.

As the global EV market grows, manufacturers are seeking new revenue streams for used EV batteries. Applications in grid and residential storage systems have become popular. The market for second-life EV batteries is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2025.

The project connecting Germany and Norway was first conceived in 2015. The 624 km undersea cable will have a capacity of 1.4 GW, when operational in 2020. The EU is supporting the project and other grid infrastructure projects through its EFSI scheme to interconnect the European energy markets, for better renewable energy integration and improved security of supply.