Energy

Gas and CO2 prices continued their downward trend in the fourth week of May, which led to a general downward trend in prices in European electricity markets and several negative hourly prices were registered, which reached -€400/MWh in Netherlands. The notable exception of the Iberian market, which saw a rise in prices, came from the fall in renewable energy production. During the week, records of solar photovoltaic energy production were reached in Germany, France, and Italy.

Daikin Applied Americas has developed an air-to-water heat pump that can produce 91.2 kW of heat and 23.58 tons of cooling. The new device can be used as a cascade system with water-to-water heat pumps, and can switch between cooling and heating modes, depending on temperature requirements.

Australia’s push to become a green hydrogen superpower has gained new momentum with the federal and Queensland governments teaming up with consortium partners to deliver AUD 117 million ($76 million) for a 3 GW renewable hydrogen project.

India’s Gautam Solar is expanding its solar module production capacity to 1 GW by adding a 500 MW tunnel-oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) manufacturing line from Jinchen. The new line will start production by September.

Australia’s largest grid-connected urban microgrid has been officially commissioned with a new rooftop solar-powered system on Ikea’s store in Adelaide. It already delivers more than 70% of the store’s energy needs and provides grid support for the South Australian network.

A new solar company has entered the PV market, pv magazine learned this week at SNEC in Shanghai. The company sells everything from PV modules and inverters to racking and wallboxes.

The IQ Battery 5P works in conjunction with the Enphase Energy System and can be configured for self-consumption, savings, or full backup functionality.

Prolux Solutions has developed a redox flow battery with a charging and discharging capacity of 4 kW and 5 kW of peak power. It is designed to be coupled with PV systems in homes with high consumption profiles.

Australia and the United States have agreed to collaboratively accelerate and expand clean energy supply chains, renewable energy tech manufacturing, and supplies of critical minerals.

Chinese module manufacturer Hanersun has introduced six versions of its new stackable, high-voltage residential batteries, ranging in nominal capacities from 7.5 kWh to 20 kWh. The batteries, which feature lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) technology, come with a five-year warranty.