Grids & Integration

Scientists have simulated a 4G and 5G cellular base station in Kuwait, powered by a combination of solar energy, hydrogen, and a diesel generator. The lowest cost of energy was found to be $0.0714/kWh.

Researchers in Italy have analyzed the techno-economic viability of enhancing three pumped hydro plants in Italy with floating PV on the lower basin. They say that, with their wide results, consequences could be extrapolated to similar regions.

Conceived by an international research team, the model can also be utilized for hybrid wind-solar projects. According to its creators, it provides a practical solutions for land-use optimization and renewable energy planning.

The researchers conducted a case study on a solid oxide fuel cell system deployed in a nearly zero-energy single-floor villa with a size of 80 m2 located in southern Italy. They found that, in particular conditions of photovoltaic production, the system is not only able to meet the home electric loads, but also to inject surplus energy into the network.

China is building its first gigawatt-scale residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Jiangsu province. The project will connect millions of high-power household appliances to a cloud-based energy pool to improve grid stability and boost renewable energy use.

A group of scientists has developed an open-source dataset comprising three years’ worth of data from Hong Kong’s largest behind-the-meter rooftop solar power project. Power generation was collected at 5-minute intervals, and meteorological data at 1-minute.

Sunairio has launched software that features high-resolution historical climate data and high-resolution future climate models to provide insights into site-specific risks. It recently raised venture capital to expand into new markets for its solar and wind portfolio-oriented software.

Scientists in Iran have designed a CPV system that integrates a paraffin-based nanomaterials cooling system with fin, as well as thermoelectric generators that turns wast heat into electricity. Simulated results demonstrated that, with the cooling system in place, the PV efficiency improves by approximately 16.46% in clean conditions.

Researchers have constructed a miniature PV field at an altitude of 2,500 m in Switzerland. They tested it across 80 different positioning settings and compared the results to the guidelines provided by the Swiss government for a subsidy program. They found that the simulated yield was underestimated by up to 16%.

Swiss-based Hive Power has launched Flexo to optimize grid-connected devices, enabling flexibility in markets with dynamic tariffs. The Flexo solution has interfaces to integrate inverters, home energy management systems, charging point managements systems, meters, and other internet of things (IoT) devices.