Energy Storage

The growth of European rooftop solar continues this year, with innovative companies raising capital to develop the market. It’s an encouraging trend with the potential to accelerate rooftop solar adoption. pv magazine correspondent Valerie Thompson takes a closer look.

Hithium, a Chinese manufacturer of lithium-ion stationary energy storage systems, has announced a Series C funding round consisting of more than CNY 4.5 billion ($622 million). It will primarily use the funds to expand production capacity, procure advanced equipment, and conduct R&D.

Ausgrid has installed its first pole-mounted battery energy storage system as part of a trial to more effectively manage growing penetration of rooftop solar and periods of peak demand.

LEAG, Germany’s second largest energy supplier, is planning a power-to-X project to produce hydrogen, store waste heat, generate electricity, and supply buses with hydrogen. The plant will also have a thermal solid-state storage facility with a capacity of 1,000 MWh.

A series of fires that occurred between 2017 and 2019 brought South Korea’s energy storage market to a standstill. New research seeks now to shed light on all the causes of the accidents and analyzes several social factors that may have led to the continuous occurrence of the accidents.

Construction has started on Western Australia’s second grid-scale battery, as the state government looks to scale up energy storage capacity to support its planned transition from coal-fired power to renewables.

Australian renewables developer Genex Power has signed agreements with Japanese utility J-Power for a multimillion-dollar funding package that will support the delivery of its 2 GWh pumped hydro project in Queensland Australia, and the development of the 2 GW Bulli Creek solar and battery project.

Australian renewables startup Green Gravity has teamed with underground mining contractor RUC to accelerate the commercialization of its gravitational energy storage tech.

The European residential storage battery market has grown significantly during the energy crisis, but it has remained relatively small in France. Nevertheless, battery manufacturers expect higher demand due to rising electricity prices.

The European solar landscape changed forever in 2022 and managing the supply chain, grid, and permitting constraints will be key to a solar-dominated energy future for the continent.