Buildings can offer gigawatts of new peak capacity as ‘batteries’
Modeling shows that shifting just one-third of the electricity consumption of commercial and institutional buildings in Australia to the middle of the day, coinciding with peak solar supply, would create almost 12 GW of new peak capacity in the National Electricity Market.
Integrating pumped hydro with compressed air energy storage
A group of Chinese researchers has made a first attempt to integrate pumped hydro with compressed air storage and has found the latter may help the former to better deal with large head variations.
The Hydrogen Stream: US government targets $2/kg by 2026, $1/kg by 2031
The US Department of Energy says it is aiming for “clean” hydrogen production costs of $2/kg by 2026 and $1/kg by 2031.
Researchers propose use of cesium, rubidium for hydrogen batteries
A study led by Russia’s Skoltech and China’s HPSTAR suggests that rubidium and cesium additives could improve the efficiency of hydrogen batteries. Researcher Dmitrii Semenok tells pv magazine that “it is a question of changing the approach to the search for promising hydrogen storage materials.”
Low platinum fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles
New research from Sweden suggests that low platinum fuel cells for hydrogen vehicles, when scaled up for the same number of cells, may achieve similar or higher efficiencies compared to commercial fuel cells. Their modeling is expected to act as a bridge between material science research and vehicle implementation.
The Hydrogen Stream: EU hydrogen tender ends with bids below €0.50/kg
The European Commission has selected the winners of European Hydrogen Bank’s first auction, with bids coming in below €0.50 ($0.54)/kg, while Chile and Namibia have revealed new hydrogen plans.
ICRA says falling battery costs to support Indian storage market
Battery prices reached an all-time low in India in 2023, led by a moderation in raw material prices amid rising production across the value chain, according to credit rating agency ICRA.
Hybrid system combining CPV, ionic thermocells achieves 49.63% energy efficiency
Conceived by scientists in China, the device consists of a Fresnel lens, a PV cell, and liquid ionic thermocells (iTECs) with electrolyte flow. In can reportedly outperform CPV systems built with thermoelectric generators, both in terms of costs and efficiency.
Australian lithium-sulfur battery player claims to have nailed safety standards
Australian battery company Li-S Energy claims to have taken a significant step toward proving the safety of its semi-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries, with the third-generation technology successfully passing a series of nail penetration tests.
India launches 1.2 GW solar tender
SJVN is now accepting bids to develop 1.2 GW of solar projects, connected to India’s interstate transmission system, anywhere in the country. Bidding closes on June 17.
