Using agrivoltaics on 1% of EU farmland could lead to 944 GW installed capacity, JRC says
If 157,621 hectares of utilized agricultural area in the European Union incorporated agrivoltaics, it could produce up to 944 GW installed capacity, a new study published by the Joint Research Centre found. Despite the optimism, certain challenges – such as no clear definition and dedicated standards – stand in the way of the technology’s success.
Atess releases new 1 MW battery inverter
Chinese manufacturer Atess has developed PCS1000, a 1 MW bidirectional battery inverter for commercial and industrial applications, with a 99% efficiency rating.
German home destroyed by 30 kWh battery explosion
The German authorities have attributed the recent explosion of a 30 kWh storage battery in a private home to a likely technical defect. The incident has left the home uninhabitable, and property damages will likely be substantial, according to investigators.
New opportunities for 4-hour-plus energy storage
Energy storage with more than four hours of duration could assume a key role in integrating renewable energy into the US power grid on the back of a potential shift to net winter demand peaks, says the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Panasonic introduces heat-pump hot water system
Panasonic and Reclaim Energy have partnered to develop a new heat-pump hot water system for the Australian market. They claim that it is up to five times more efficient than gas or traditional electric heating.
World’s largest phosphate-based fertilizer maker shifts to solar
Morocco-based rock miner OCP secured financing to build two solar PV plants totaling 400 MW from the International Finance Corporation, with the twin facilities located near the mining towns of Benguerir and Khouribga – home of the country’s most phosphate-rich reserves.
Australian competition regulator issues warning about LG home batteries
South Korea’s LG has updated a recall of its solar batteries, with Australia’s consumer watchdog warning owners of LG-branded batteries to “immediately” switch off their solar storage systems, amid concerns of overheating batteries.
Northvolt to open battery factory in Canada
Northvolt says it will use a circular economy approach to achieve 60 GW/h of annual cell production in Quebec, Canada, with a focus on assembling batteries for the US automotive market.
Maxeon Solar Technologies to slash 15% of global workforce
Solar panel producer Maxeon Solar Technologies will lay off 750 employees by the end of the year as the company reels from reduced shipments from its largest distributed generation (DG) customer in North America and an ‘industry-wide demand slowdown’ in global DG markets.
Fraunhofer IEG opens testing site for MW-sized heat pumps
The Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Energy (Fraunhofer IEG) says it plans to open two new test benches for large heat pumps. Manufacturers, developers and project planners will have access to the test benches, in order to bring new systems to market maturity.
