Energy Storage

Testing from TÜV Rheinland has revealed that PV inverters and battery storage systems are vulnerable to hacking. By changing system parameters, a hacker could potentially cause a battery system to corrode, “making it like a ‘bomb’.”

‘Unprecedented challenge’ for fossil fuels as low LCOE for solar and wind power, allied to tumbling storage costs, sees renewables claim larger share of bulk and dispatchable generation while adding vital flexibility to global energy mix.

At the recent Energy Storage Europe exhibition in Düsseldorf, Florian Mayr, partner at renewable energy advisory firm Apricum, explained how lithium-ion technologies got a jump on other battery forms in the stationary storage world, but its dominance should not be taken for granted.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Japan-based SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, to establish the world’s largest solar PV energy project by 2030. How likely it is to materialize, and what will be done with the power, if it is realized, however, remains to be seen. Of more interest, says BNEF, is the first 7.2 GW phase.

The French power utility said it aims to become the European leader in this market. The new plan will entail all market segments, but will primarily focus on the residential sector.

The Danish wind specialist and the renewable energy unit of the Portuguese utility have installed the 3.3 MW power facility near Cadiz, in the Spanish region of Andalucia. Vestas, however, has said that this project does not represent a step into the solar business.

SolarMax Technology CEO, David Hsu talks to pv magazine about the experiences of an American company operating in the Chinese solar market, including knowledge transfer from the U.S., in particular in the field of O&M, residential opportunities and storage.

ViZn has laid off all of its employees and ceased operations, as the latest in a series of closures and bankruptcies for makers of alternative battery technologies.

IHS Markit’s senior market analyst for energy storage Julian Jansen discusses the role that South Korean battery producers play in the global storage chain, and sees reasons to be bullish for Europe’s own storage market.

If you were unable to make it to Düsseldorf for the recent Energy Storage Europe exhibition and conference, fear not: this 12-minute video tour brings you all you need to know about the latest tech, service and product developments in the European storage space.