Micronesia runs solar minigrid tender
A tender is open in Micronesia for the engineering, procurement and construction of hybrid solar minigrid systems at three villages on the Fefen Islands. The closing date for applications is October 27.
Tesla issues product recall for Powerwall 2 battery in Australia
Australia’s consumer watchdog has warned thousands of households to check their Tesla battery energy storage systems with a nationwide recall in place after reports of the manufacturer’s Powerwall 2 units catching fire and damaging homes.
California’s home batteries are replacing gas plants and saving hundreds of millions
Brattle Group analyzed a gigawatt-hour virtual power plant test that may be the world’s largest as part of its review of California’s distributed peak-shaving program.
French city favors domestic modules in 6.8 MW solar carport tender
The city of Grand Nancy, France, awarded a 6.8 MW solar carport tender to Holosolis, tying the 2027 project to its planned 5 GW factory in the Grand Est region.
Can BESS answer US data center power demand?
Data centers’ energy demand is well-documented. Hyperscale AI data centers owned by big-tech companies are placing acute strain on energy infrastructure in the United States, the global data center capital, and many more are expected to come online. There is ongoing debate about how policymakers, grid operators, regulators and the energy industry – renewable or otherwise – can respond to the situation. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) can provide grid-balancing solutions, but not all are convinced they can fully replace gas.
GCL to raise $450 million for China polysilicon consolidation plan
GCL plans to raise $450 million to aid consolidation in China’s polysilicon sector and support the shift from tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) to back-contact solar products.
Saudi Arabia launches 3.1 GW solar tender
Saudi Power Procurement Co. (SPPC) has announced a request for qualification (RFQ) for 3.1 GW of solar capacity across four projects in the seventh round of Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy tender program.
German solar PPA deals drop 87% as developers turn to battery hybrids
With German solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) down 87%, a panel of experts argued that hybrid solar-plus-storage projects are now the only bankable path forward.
Australian team develops graphene supercapacitor
Researchers at Monash University in Australia have developed a new carbon-based material they claim allows supercapacitors to store as much energy as traditional lead-acid batteries, while delivering power much faster than conventional batteries can manage.
Ukrainian hospital receives solar-plus-storage system
A solar-plus-storage system has been installed at a hospital in northeastern Ukraine in an area frequently impacted by electricity cut-offs due to Russia’s targeting of energy infrastructure. RePower Ukraine says the system offers the hospital reliable power to treat 50,000 patients annually.
