Grids & Integration

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers have shown that microgrids equipped with solar-plus-storage systems can maintain an average levelized cost of energy (LCOE) below $0.30/kWh and limit annual public safety power shutoffs to 2% to 3% of annual energy demand.

German coal miner LEAG is planning a massive clean energy hub, comprising up to 14 GW of wind and solar energy generation paired with 2 GWh to 3 GWh of battery energy storage and 2 GW of green hydrogen production. Combined, these technologies are expected to create a net-zero baseload energy system.

Maxeon and Samsung have developed a cloud-to-cloud system to transmit data from Maxeon’s PV panels and batteries to Samsung’s home platform. The heat pump integration enables the use of surplus PV energy to preheat rooms at specific times.

As the solar wave sweeps across Europe, creaking grids are emphasizing the continent’s overriding need for energy storage.

SolarEdge is partnering with Vaillant and Samsung to integrate their heat pumps into its home ecosystem. Homeowners will be able to optimize their energy consumption by using excess PV or shifting consumption in accordance with optimal energy rates.

Dutch utility Eneco has announced plans to build a 50 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage installation in Wallonia, Belgium, using Tesla Megapacks. The battery plant will offer four hours of storage.

Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions has supplied two 50 MW seawater heat pumps for district heating at the port of Esbjerg, Denmark. They use CO2 as a refrigerant and will be powered by nearby wind farms. The project will start producing 350,000 MWh of heat per year in the fall.

SolarEdge’s new software-based solution manages and optimizes the electric-vehicle (EV) charging process for sites that have solar resources and large numbers of EVs requiring dynamic load management.

Developed by Chinese researchers, the novel hybrid storage technology may achieve an efficiency of over 80% and be applied in distribution and transmission grids. The proposed combination is reportedly able to offer the advantages of gravity energy storage and power-based storage systems in a single solution.

Sonnen has introduced a new software solution to seamlessly integrate heat pumps into private household energy supplies and enhance grid stability. The company’s initial partner is heat pump manufacturer NIBE, but additional partners are expected to join in the future.