Utility Scale Storage

Standards Australia wrapped up public consultation last week on a draft standard for battery storage, setting the stage for the development of a comprehensive framework for future deployment.

Toshiba has reported a group net loss of JPY 965.7 billion ($8.8 billion) for fiscal 2016, as its energy systems and solutions business — which which builds solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower projects, in addition to battery-based energy storage systems and smart meters — posted an operating loss of JPY 41.7 billion in the 12 months to the end of March 2017, marking a significant improvement from the preceding fiscal year.

Smart Solar has started installing 34 MW of solar on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The project will include 14.4 MWh of lithium-ion storage capacity.

The lithium-ion large-scale battery will be the biggest in the Middle East once commissioned this year by Al Badiya, a subsidiary of Philadelphia Solar.

The analysts expect cumulative installed base of energy storage to reach 52 GW globally by 2025, up from 4 GW today. Annual revenues for grid-connected storage to reach more than $7bn by that date despite sharp price declines.

New research sheds light on the benefits of demand response applications in a low voltage distribution network with an integrated PV system.

British renewable energy developer Lightsource has entered into a £1 billion partnership with asset manager BlackRock Real Assets to create Kingfisher, which will target 1 GW of solar capacity in the U.K. Partnership will also eye storage opportunities.

In the first year energy storage and electric vehicle sectors are included, REA’s annual publication reveals a 2.5% YoY increase in the number of jobs in the renewable energy industry, but also a significant decline in growth from two years previous when it was at nearly 9%. The Association points to negative policy changes as the reason behind the downward trend.

More than $1 billion raised in the first half of 2017 by battery storage, smart grid and energy efficiency companies – up from $807m in H1 2016, finds latest Mercom Capital Group report.

As costs are driven down by the economies of scale and improvements in manufacturing and deployments, new technologies are finding their way to widespread adoption, as seen in the case of solar modules. In order to facilitate the prediction of costs and outcomes for new energy storage technologies, a team of researchers from Imperial College London has developed a tool to help policy makers and investors make informed decisions.