Canada

The provincial government of Prince Edward Island, Canada, has signed an agreement with the Canadian federal government to implement the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program. The scheme offers grants to low- and medium-income households to install heat pumps and has nationally delivered more than 7,000 units to date.

The deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Canada is picking up the pace, with the announcement of a 705 MWh battery storage system delivery to Nova Scotia by Canadian Solar’s e-Storage and various other projects in provinces across the country. However, this surge cannot come quickly enough says Energy Storage Canada.

Multinational mining company Rio Tinto has finished installation work at the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada and has announced plans for two 5.25 MW plants at a bauxite mine in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Researchers have simulated the operation of seven renewable energy communities in the Port of Naples and found them to offer lower life cycle costs. Using varying capacities of solar and wave energy, they were able to optimize the system to a 90% self-consumption rate. They also offered a scheme for the management of a port energy community.

Homeowners in the Canadian province of British Columbia who install rooftop solar and battery energy storage systems will soon be able to apply for up to CAD 10,000 ($7,341) in rebates from electric utility B.C. Hydro.

Researchers from China University of Petroleum have reported on hydrogen-microorganism interactions in underground storage, while Sungrow Hydrogen has won a $4.1 billion bid for an integrated hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol project.

The latest North American manufacturing hub report from Sinovoltaics maps current and planned capacity for 95 plants in the region’s PV module supply chain. The report tracks announcements of current and future capacities at plants producing PV modules, cells, wafers, ingots, polysilicon, and metallurgical-grade silicon.

Research at three Canadian locations tried to identify which crops can grow between differently spaced rows of vertical agrivoltaic systems. The scientists concluded that all traditional corps could be grown at the research sites, including arugula, beets, bok choy, celery, coriander, collards, fava beans, kale, lettuce, parsley, parsnips, peas, swiss chard, and thyme.

Rolls-Royce has started developing a hydrogen combustion engine for combined heat and power (CHP) systems in Germany, while Lhyfe has installed a 1 MW electrolyzer for Deutsche Bahn.

A research group in Canada has optimized the performance of concentrator photovoltaics by using the so-called surface-mount technology for thermal management. The CPV module prototype utilizes four non-interconnected III-V germanium cells, a Fresnel lens, and a transparent glass printed-circuit board.