US: 86% of Texas’ future capacity will comprise solar or wind, zero coal
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas’s pipeline of projects has ballooned to almost 80 GW. 12 GW of this is gas, while the rest is wind and solar power plants, as well as 522 MW of energy storage.
Wärtsilä completes its first European energy storage project
Hungary-based Sinergy Kft is the recipient of Wärtsilä’s first EPC energy storage project in Europe. The Finnish technology group commissioned the engine plus storage hybrid installation, its first globally, on August 22. The VPP can now provide frequency and secondary regulation to the Hungarian national grid.
Report shows Tesla’s US battery gigafactory booming
The report found over 3,200 employees working at the factory at the end of 2017, and US$3.7 billion in invested in the plant.
Batteries material market set to grow 9% until 2022
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 businesses to microgrids helps financial viability
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.
Bosch and Ceres planning fuel cells to power future cities
The Stuttgart-based industrial group wants to work on technology development and production with the British fuel cell manufacturer. Bosch considers highly efficient fuel cells an important step forward in the energy transition.
First utility-scale battery helps relieve stress on UK’s national grid
A 10 MW system in Derbyshire provided power to the grid as part of a virtual power plant in a national first. It should prove a popular development, according to the results of a new survey.
Italian region of Lombardia allocates another €3 million for solar+storage
After earmarking €4 million last year, Italy’s most dynamic and affleunt region is further supporting solar+storage installations through a rebate scheme.
Fluence to partner with PUC for peak-load shaving in Ontario
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.
Nissan Brazil and Federal University of Santa Catarina to cooperate on second-life EV battery research
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.
