Cow poop (and more) on the floor at Intersolar
Cow dung battery binder, a beautiful electric moped, parking lot level car charging, big rig charging, and “balcony solar” energy storage on the floor at Europe’s largest solar power show.
‘Blaming renewables for Spain’s blackout is like faulting the thermometer for the fever’
The recent blackout in the Iberian grid should not be interpreted as failure of renewables. But it did provide Europe with a sign the energy system is changing, shedding light on the necessity to govern 21st-century technologies with 21st-century control systems.
PV outperforms wind, piezoelectric energy in street lighting
Scientists in Thailand have assessed which technology between PV, wind, or piezoelectric energy is better for powering street lighting and have found solar is the winning tech, as it proved both economically and technologically feasible.
IPS unveils 8.1 MWh utility-scale BESS
IPS has developed an 8.1 MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) housed in a 20-foot container with an integrated 4 MW inverter. The Bulgarian manufacturer says it aims to meet growing demand for efficient, large-scale energy storage solutions.
How to integrate solar-plus-storage with heat pumps
Scientists in Spain have simulated a system that uses both power-to-heat-to-power thermal batteries and lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. The hybrid system reportedly achieved a 7% lower LCOE compared to a PV system relying solely on lithium batteries, while simultaneously increasing PV self-consumption by up to 20%.
Spain blackout not caused by renewables, says prime minister
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says Spain’s recent blackout was not triggered by excess renewables or a lack of nuclear power. He claims the government will reform the grid, seek an independent report from Brussels, and launch a national inquiry.
Spain’s nationwide blackout leaves millions in the dark, cause still unclear
Spanish energy expert Antonio Delgado Rigal tells pv magazine that while the exact cause of yesterday’s nationwide blackout in Spain remains unclear, preliminary signs point to grid instability triggered by system failure.
South Korea fines solar operators, cancels 347 MW of renewable projects
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has fined eight solar operators for failing to comply with output curtailment orders and canceled licenses for 11 renewable energy projects totaling 347.4 MW. It did not say how much of the canceled capacity was solar.
Swiss researchers developing control algorithm for grid-forming inverters
Researchers at ETH Zurich have patented a grid-forming inverter algorithm that stabilizes frequency while protecting devices from damage by independently controlling frequency, voltage, and current.
Irish and UK grids linked via 500 MW subsea HVDC cable
The Greenlink Interconnector comprises two high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables reaching across the Irish Sea connecting the grids of Ireland and the United Kingdom at the Great Island substation in County Wexford and Pembroke substation in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
