Grids & Integration

New research from Iran shows that PV installations linked to battery storage may help prevent accidents and increase safety in nuclear power plants by acting as an emergency load. The scientists proposed a system design that considers both technical and economics factors.

The US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Argonne National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory will carry out demonstration projects to validate long-duration energy storage tech developed by German manufacturer CMBlu Energy. The collaborative project is designed to improve microgrids in cold climates and make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in underserved communities.

Researchers from Spain have developed a novel model to evaluate optical photovoltaic converters used in high-power optical transmission. They have found that indium gallium nitride (InGaN) and indium aluminum nitride (InAlN) semiconductors could provide better results than gallium arsenide (GaAs).

Researchers from Australia have created a model to optimize the interaction between vehicle-to-home (V2H) systems and residential PV connected to battery storage. They claim V2H can help reduce the cost of energy by 16.7% for workplace charging and 25% for public charging.

TAQA, an Abu Dhabi-based energy company, has signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the possibility of becoming a shareholder in the €1.9 billion ($3.08 billion) Greece and Cyprus high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity interconnection.

A 28-kilometer underground power cable owned by Italian grid operator Terna started work on Friday, the company announced. The interconnector connects substations in Glorenza northern Italy and Nauders eastern Austria.

Belgian network operator Elia says its new grid map shows available capacity, in addition to existing and already reserved capacity. The map, which considers growth in residential load and generation, shows that there might still be enough free capacity for 3.3 GW of solar and 2.8 GW of storage.

UK-based Modo Energy, a battery analytics platform developer, has raised $15 million to finance new product development and develop international markets.

Israel’s Electricity Authority has approved a 2.5 GW capacity extension plan for renewable energy. The initiative will enable the connection of plants in the southern and northern parts of the country.

Researchers from Norway have discovered that adding batteries to projects that combine hydropower and floating PV could increase annual profits by as much as 2%, due to revenues from ancillary services and capacity markets.