Technology and R&D

German scientists have tried to determine whether a PV system linked to a small electrolyzer, a fuel cell, and lithium-ion batteries could fully power a grid-connected household. Their new proposal consists of a 6.8kW PV array, a 5kW electrolyzer, a 1.24kW fuel cell system, and battery storage.

US-based IntriEnergy has secured a patent for its PV cell tech platform that can increase the energy output of solar panels by up to 60% without increasing the panel size.

The US manufacturer has expanded the battery capacity options for its SunVault Storage product, up to 26 kWh and 52 kWh configurations.

The hybrid facility is planned to be built in central Portugal. It will consist of a 365MW PV unit, a 264MW wind farm, and 168MW of battery storage. It will also be connected to a 500kW electrolyzer that will be fed with surplus power that cannot be stored by the batteries.

The autonomous system is designed for small companies that produce milk, juice, beverages, or food products, it and can reach four degrees Celsius in three hours with an external temperature of 30 degrees.

Researchers from The University of Queensland have developed a new nanotechnology that purportedly more than doubles the lifespan of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for higher density and lower-cost energy storage solutions.

German consultancy VDE Renewables and global reinsurer Munich Re have outlined an approach to quantify the impact of risk mitigation measures applied to PV projects, as well as the advantages that may be derived by relying on an insurance solution. Risk mitigation expert Ulrike Jahn has spoken with pv magazine on how the new approach was shaped and what kind of performance issues should be taken into account by PV asset owners.

Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a degenerative effect in the creation of cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries that could have significant impacts on the performance of sodium-ion batteries.

Japanese automaker Toyota has used its hydrogen tank tech in a new module to expand hydrogen storage to railways, shipping facilities, cargo ports, and fuel cell generators. Its 70MPa tank has a storage capacity of 2.7 kg to 18.7 kg and a tank mass ranging from 43.0 kg to 243.8 kg, depending on the size.

Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a viable alternative to lithium-ion technology. Industrial heavyweights CATL and Reliance Industries, following the acquisition of UK-based sodium-ion specialist Faradion, are bent on bringing the technology out of the lab and into mass production. Against a backdrop of soaring prices and predicted shortfalls of lithium-ion battery materials, sodium-ion chemistry has never been more tantalizing.