Distributed Storage

The evaluation confirmed the outstanding system efficiency of European inverter manufacturers, in particular. It also found large differences in efficiency of certain hybrid inverters from the maximum efficiency specifications provided by the manufacturers on the data sheets.

Researchers recommended that transmission system operators consider adopting grid-forming battery energy storage systems system-wide to improve grid stability and to maximize system hosting capacity for solar and wind generation.

Utility-scale solar is set to crank up the voltage, preparing to shift from 1.5 kV to 2 kV on the DC side. It is a move that could redefine PV system design and slash costs, but it won’t happen globally due to vastly different regulations as voltages rise, reports Tristan Rayner.

There is a gap in the market for long-duration energy storage (LDES), according to US-based manufacturer ESS Inc. – one which can’t be plugged with lithium-ion chemistry. Hugh McDermott, of ESS Inc. tells pv magazine how he thinks iron flow batteries fit into the energy system of the future, as the company pursues global expansion.

Swedish manufacturer Aira launched its heat pump in Europe in 2024. The company told pv magazine it is now developing a full home energy management system proposition to integrate heating, solar, battery energy storage and electric vehicle charging.

Cheap, safe, widely available sodium could be used for battery energy storage alongside photovoltaics. The Sodium-Ion-Battery Germany (SIB:DE) Research project is investigating whether sodium-ion technology can be affordably integrated into lithium-ion battery production facilities.

Cyprus’ Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry has launched a subsidy scheme for energy storage systems paired with existing renewable energy plants. Eligible projects will be remunerated by feed-in tariffs (FiTs) or net billing systems.

TerraVis Energy claims its new heat pump system can achieve a seasonal coefficient performance of 3.5 and deliver 30 C of heat indoors at -50 C. CEO Lorenzo Rossi told pv magazine that the system could be produced at a lower cost than conventional models.

Tesla’s first overseas energy storage plant starts operating as global competition from Chinese firms and pricing pressures mount.

Hard-to-abate segments in the energy transition, such as the chemical industry and marine transportation, require electricity-based e-methanol in large quantities. The transport costs could be a key factor in determining the best locations for future green e-methanol projects.