Solar mini-grid to protect Austrian highway from blackouts
The Austrian motorway company Asfinag is planning to power, with solar-plus-storage, all its maintenance facilities. These installations are planned to power the stations at night and in the event of a grid failure.
Portuguese authorities review 1 GW solar project with Tesla batteries
A newly proposed solar project in Portugal could almost double the nation’s installed PV capacity. The installation will likely require an investment of around €1 billion.
UK start-up builds gravity-based storage system at Scottish port
Scottish start-up Gravitricity has begun construction of a 250 kW gravity-based energy storage project at Port of Leith. A 15m-high rig uses renewable energy to raise a mass in a 150-1,500m shaft and discharges the electricity thus ‘stored’ by releasing the mass to rotate an electric generator.
Solar could play big role in helping renewables displace UK’s planned gas fleet
Each 1.8 GW of new gas generation capacity could be replaced by 1.7 GW of solar as part of a cleaner, 6.3 GW collection of renewables and energy storage facilities–and that alternative already comes in cheaper than the business-as-usual approach, according to the Carbon Tracker thinktank.
Solid-state batteries in space
Japanese scientists are about to launch solid-state batteries into space.
Australia to support battery production with $1.2 billion funding initiative
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance has welcomed a new AUD 1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) Australian government initiative to boost processing of critical minerals for batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.
Spain joins the gigafactory race
SEAT and Iberdrola are planning to build an EV battery manufacturing facility in Barcelona with the support of the Spanish government.
New power electronic device to manage surplus solar power
The device was developed by an international consortium through the EU-funded project Renewable penetration levered by Efficient Low Voltage Distribution grids (RESOLVD). The power electronic technology is claimed to be able to combine different storage technologies in a single electronic-based board interface.
LG Energy recalling battery systems in Australia due to fire risks
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has confirmed a recall notice for some of LG Energy Solution’s battery energy storage systems due to potential fire-related risks.
Australian startup aims to become one of the first first Li-ion anode producer outside China
A handful of companies are challenging Chinese control of a core material in lithium-ion battery production, before the electrification of transport truly kicks off the global battery boom. International Graphite, a Perth-based startup at the forefront of this effort, recently spoke to pv magazine Australia about the surprisingly collaborative race to feed global demand.
