Distributed Storage

Sungrow secured a 7.8 GWh battery storage deal from Saudi Arabia last year and is planning to strengthen its presence across the whole Middle East.

Scientists in Tunisia have investigated the impact of PV panel tilt and water quality on green hydrogen production and have found that, with a variable orientation PV panel, the hydrogen generator could reach an efficiency ranging from 32% to 62% using demineralized water and 45% to 65% with distilled water.

A European consortium is applying wind-solar hybrid and tilting wing technology as modular refits of in-service long-distance cargo vessels in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.

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.