Energy Storage

Eight industrial and scientific entities in Germany have come together to pursue two key innovations in lithium-ion battery technology: the replacement of metal foils with a metallized fabric structure, and the use of silicon as anode material.

Scientists in Italy have looked at how flywheel storage and reversible solid oxide cells could be integrated with lithium-ion batteries in minigrids powered by solar. They found that flywheels combined with batteries could be the cheapest option for power smoothing.

EirGrid assigned 7.2 GW of capacity in its latest auction, with 5.4 GW to come from gas power plants. The auction clearing price reached €83.050 ($90.554)/MW per year.

IndiGrid has commissioned a pilot project featuring a solar panel bank coupled with a battery energy storage system (BESS), at its Dhule substation in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Stanford University researchers have created a model to assess how much compressed air storage capacity might be needed for the deep decarbonization of power systems, while compensating for the variability of wind and solar-based power systems. They applied the model to California’s energy system and found that compressed air could be very competitive on a dollars-per-kilowatt-hour basis.

Netherlands-based One Solution says its new FlexTherm Eco battery can be used in combination with rooftop PV systems and residential photovoltaic-thermal installations. It consists of a thermal charging station that converts power directly into heat and stores it for the provision of hot water.

Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy says that hydrogen pipelines will be “far better” than vessels at moving hydrogen over short- and medium-range distances in the years ahead.

Austria’s new incentive program will support the deployment of residential batteries with storage capacities of 4 kWh to 50 kWh.

Altech Batteries, a battery tech company in Western Australia, has included “game-changing” sodium chloride technology in its new battery 1 MWh GridPack. It said it expects the new systems to be up to 40% cheaper to produce than dominant lithium-ion alternatives.

Much has been said about the benefits installing solar and batteries can offer to businesses but, as companies face mounting input cost inflation, is the upfront investment too much to bear or have volatile electricity costs made the decision a no-brainer?