India to launch its own battery cell production
India’s PV sector is expanding at a serious pace, creating jobs and further securing energy supply for many businesses. Yet, sourcing battery cell technology at the current rate resulted in annual foreign exchange of $150 million creating deficits, that hopefully can be averted in the future.
World’s largest li-ion battery and 707 MW of solar power in Colorado proposal
Xcel Energy’s 120-day report to Colorado regulators includes an additional 1.1 GW of wind at 1.1-1.8¢/kWh. Solar power bids have come in at 2.2-2.7¢/kWh, and solar+storage at 3.0-3.2¢/kWh.
PV leading the charge to low-emission future says IEA
With 34 of the 38 key technologies needed to hit the Paris Agreement’s best-case scenario falling short, PV and electric vehicles are keeping hopes alive
Battery storage funding booms in Q1 (w/ chart)
The latest report by Mercom Capital finds VC investment in battery storage companies rising five-fold year-over-year to $299 million in 12 deals.
Lithium-ion battery prices could rise as cost of cobalt shoots up, warn analysts
Price of cobalt, a raw material used in lithium-ion batteries, rose 26% in the first quarter of the year, following 114% annual increase in 2017, finds EnergyTrend. Suppliers may look at ways to lower cobalt content in new iterations, experts say.
Video interview: Will lithium-ion’s battery dominance soon end?
At the recent Energy Storage Europe exhibition in Düsseldorf, Florian Mayr, partner at renewable energy advisory firm Apricum, explained how lithium-ion technologies got a jump on other battery forms in the stationary storage world, but its dominance should not be taken for granted.
Panasonic begins supply of prismatic-type automotive Li-ion batteries, unveils new storage solution in India
Panasonic’s Chinese factory has started the mass production and global supply of prismatic-type automotive lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Its Indian subsidiary, Panasonic India, meanwhile has launched a new energy storage solution, CBPS 8000, for telecom towers at the Elecrama 2018 exhibition, currently taking place in India.
US energy storage begins to take off
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.
EU Battery Alliance wants 20 EU giga factories, Saft announces partnership with Siemens, Manz and Solvay
The EU Battery Alliance is calling on industry to take advantage of the expected 2025 €250 billion battery market by establishing between 10 and 20 European giga battery factories. Saft, meanwhile, has announced an alliance with Siemens, Manz and Solvay to work on advanced lithium ion and solid-state battery technology.
Kyocera completes large-scale and floating PV projects in Japan
Kyocera TCL Solar LLC has completed work on a 21.1 MW solar PV plant in Japan’s Hagi City. Operations have also begun on five of the company’s floating solar power plants. Meanwhile, in light of decreasing FITs, it provides an update on its shifting solar focus.
