Energy Storage

Nexol Photovolthermic AG has developed a new hybrid solar water heater for residential use, offering 1.5 kW of heating output and sizes ranging from 80 to 300 liters.

In a major policy shift toward electricity market liberalization, China has introduced contract-for-difference (CfD) auctions for renewable plants and removed the energy storage mandate, which has driven up to 75% of national demand to date. S&P Global expects the move to reverberate through the global battery storage supply chain, further driving down prices already at historic lows.

TotalEnergies says it has signed a 15-year deal with RWE to buy 30,000 tons of green hydrogen per year from a 300 MW electrolyzer in Germany, while Plug Power has announced a partnership with Southwire to create a clean hydrogen ecosystem in Texas.

Pairing solar plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS) will be the main strategic focus for the country’s upcoming renewable energy auction. Each project must have a minimum storage duration of four hours to ensure sufficient grid support and energy reliability.

Out of 6.9 GW of prequalified battery energy storage systems (BESS), equal to 1.9 GW derated capacity, about 1.8 GW of derated BESS secured 15-year contracts in the UK’s T-4 auction – nearly double last year’s volume. Just a week earlier, the T-1 auction also set a record for BESS procurement.

Most studies of European 100% renewable energy overlook pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES), for the following, incorrect, reasons: there are few PHES sites; more dams on rivers are required; large areas of land are flooded; large amounts of water are required; there is a heavy environmental cost; and the capital cost of PHES is high. All these perceptions are wrong.

Beita Pharmatech and Northwest Normal University have develop a carbon-14 nuclear battery encased in silicon carbide, offering unprecedented longevity and application potential.

Fuji Electric said the new heat pump system is currently in the first stage of prototyping, with commercial launch being scheduled for 2026. It is being conceived for recycling of heat energy from wastewater in industrial facilities.

Dutch start-up develops sodium-ion battery tech for solar colocation

Long duration energy storage (LDES) support scheme will have eight-hour minimum. First application round opens to well-established technologies, such as lithium-ion battery technology, with at least 100 MW capacity in April 2025. Flow batteries, compressed air, and liquid air likely to progress in second round, says regulator.