Batteries

Panel discussion at Energy Storage Europe tackled the issue of whether the best way for keeping the lights on as economies around the world grow is to extend the grid network or add energy storage, and found that the best solution lies somewhere in between.

The keynote session of the Energy Storage Europe conference in Düsseldorf, Germany, delivered a series of presentations on the role flexible sector coupling can play in expediting the adoption of storage technologies and renewable energy, in Germany and worldwide.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that billions of people around the world live in poverty. But does it have to be that way? Today’s technological progress means that tomorrow we will be able to produce more, more efficiently – lifting people above the breadline with accelerated economic growth all around the world. Key to these efforts are smart buildings, argues Hussain Kazmi, a PhD student at KU Leuven and Enervalis.

Despite a lackluster Q4, GTM Research predicts that the U.S. energy storage market is going to boom in 2018, driven by both policy support and falling prices.

As Energy Storage Europe approaches, pv magazine counts down the five highest-ranked energy storage highlights, selected by our independent jury, that visitors to the exhibition can lay their eyes on. In fifth-place was Electrochaea’s scalable methanation plant: A rather quirky hydrogen-to-methane storage innovation that won plaudits for delivering large-scale power-to-gas capability.

The National Grid is planning to support the installation and development of ultra-rapid, directly connected EV charging points along the U.K.’s major motorways.

Minister for road transport, Nitin Gadkari drops plans to introduce national policy to support growth of electric vehicles in surprising reversal on earlier ambitions.

Despite hitting a record 1.17 GW of new grid-scale storage capacity in 2017, growth was a mere 4.6% on 2016 having surged 61% the year prior. Industry’s reliance on policy support means foundations for growth remain uneven, report finds. Average costs, however, fell by 24% last year.

London has launched a £34 million Energy for Londoners scheme, which includes goal of generating 1 GW of energy from solar by 2030. Shirley Rodrigues, deputy mayor for the environment and energy, presented parts of London’s energy vision this week at the Energy Storage Connected Systems conference.

Large-scale battery energy storage system will be supplied by GE and tap into U.K.’s growing demand for stationary storage solutions.