United States

Fortress Power’s Avalon High Voltage Energy Storage System combines a hybrid inverter, high-voltage battery, and a smart energy panel in an all-in-one, whole-home backup system.

A large grid-scale energy storage project in Hawaii, featuring Tesla Megapacks, could potentially minimize the curtailment of renewables output.

India’s first fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant will produce First Solar’s Series 7 solar PV modules, which were developed at the company’s research centers in the United States. The new facility employs 1,000 people.

US-based Acculon Energy has announced series production of its sodium-ion battery modules and packs for mobility and stationary energy storage applications. Scaled production of 2 GWh is scheduled to start in mid-2024.

Large-scale PV installations are accelerating while labor shortages prompt the industry to explore alternative strategies for delivering and operating solar plants. Utility-scale solar construction company McCarthy Building Companies, and robotics company OnSight Technology, recently teamed up to test a robotic tool to inspect field components.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that about 45 GW of solar projects above 1 MW (AC) in size will be installed in 2024, while Wood Mackenzie estimates 8 GW of small-scale solar.

The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its research partners say that various types of tree pollen can reduce solar panel efficiency by more than 15%. Unlike the immediate improvements assumed to follow heavy rain, recovery of performance post-pollen season is gradual. Post-rain manual cleaning can boost performance by 5% to 11%.

Scientists have used remote sensing to analyze the effect solar farms have across 116 sites worldwide. They found that the cooling effect is higher during the daytime, with albedo decreasing by 0.016 for most facilities.

US-based Ecoflow has developed Delta Pro Ultra, a whole-house battery generator with up to one month of power backup. With a single-unit capacity of 6 kWh, 7.2 kW of output, and 5.6 kW of solar input, the system can work with multiple energy sources for many scenarios.

Elcogen and Convion have revealed test results for their new solid oxide electrolyzer, with an electrical efficiency above 85%. It could potentially facilitate the production of 39 kWh of electrical energy per kilogram of green hydrogen.