Grids & Integration

While the timelines for PV plant execution and completion of the manufacturing facilities required by the tender are now more realistic, production obligations – especially related to capacity utilization – need to be revisited.

At an event in London, a new tool was presented which lets the user track the UK storage landscape. The market is gaining traction amidst disfavourable policies for solar PV and other renewables from Westminster. The UK’s storage portfolio seems to be growing rapidly.

Testing lithium-ion, redox flow, and sodium-sulfur technologies, EPC provider CMI Energy wants to establish which types of system, or which combinations, are most suitable for different applications using the 4.2 MWh facility.

Blockchain innovator WePower and Estonian transmission system operator Elering have partnered to tokenize the Estonian grid using an Ethereum blockchain. The project is pilot, but its initiators say it could provide tangible data for bringing the technology to markets worldwide.

French energy giant EDF has acquired a 50% stake in off-grid developer BBOXX’s operation in Togo. The two will work together to boost access to electricity in the West African country, according to EDF, and the partnership is the first step, with plans to extend cooperation to more countries in Africa.

With a proof of concept, Engie and Connected Power have integrated their second-life EV storage system into the distribution system of TenneT in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

In an open letter to the European Council, energy industry representatives have criticized EU legislation, which only considers cookies from websites and apps, but neglects the energy industry. Smart energy management businesses could run into serious complications if the EU prevents them from processing data from EV, gensets, and batteries, they argue.

Following the launch of Greensmith Energy’s new Gridsolv standardized storage solution, which integrates software helpers and standardized architecture for easy installation, pv magazine caught up with CEO John Jung to discuss the state of the storage market and the role of digital services.

The smart battery storage supplier has launched a 35 MWh cluster in Japan. This could grow to over 100 MWh within a year, says Moixa.

A much talked about concept, but the final step into market operationality has not been done – yet. Nissan, The Mobility House, and Enervie have joined forces to allow Nissan Leaf’s to provide frequency control to a distribution grid in Germany. The concept has received permission to pursue its plans, and for corporate customers it will be ready for adoption as of 2019.