China’s Bslbatt has added a rack-mounted battery to its ultra-sim range. It has a storage capacity of 5.12 kWh and a nominal voltage of 51.2 V. It measures 670 mm x 475 mm and is 89 mm thick.

Fraunhofer ISE has developed solar thermal facade panels that function as heat pump sources in buildings. The solution is made of ultra-high-performance concrete for aesthetic architectural facades.

EST-Floattech has developed a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) energy storage system for maritime applications. The are two versions of the battery modules, with storage capacities of 5.8 kWh or 10 kWh. The company also plans to offer a variant with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry.

A new report by Lazard compares the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for various generation technologies on a $/MWh basis. It shows that utility-scale solar and onshore wind LCOE increased for the first time in 2023, at $24/MWh to $96/MWh for solar and $24/MWh to $75 MWh for wind. Nevertheless, the two renewable sources are still the economic frontrunners when compared to nuclear, gas, and coal.

Salgenx has developed a way to produce graphene on demand from its saltwater flow battery. The tech exploits the electrochemical properties of the battery’s cathode to exfoliate graphite into individual layers of graphene. The company says it can produce graphene for less than $1.25 per gram, providing storage businesses with an additional revenue stream.

TrendForce has ranked the top six module manufacturers by shipment volume in 2022, with Longi topping the list, followed by Trina Solar and JinkoSolar. JA Solar, Canadian Solar, and Risen Energy rounded out the top six, in a year dominated by large-format modules.

Japan’s Toshiba has shared the results of a “future-proof” housing project in the United Kingdom. It combined two 11 kW air-source heat pumps in a five-bedroom house in Chester, England, with a 16 kW PV system and an 11 kW battery. The property is reportedly energy neutral in the summer months.

Trina Solar’s tracker subsidiary has launched a new version of its Vanguard single-axis two-in-portrait (2P) tracker. It uses multiple motors on one tracker row, reportedly allowing it to withstand higher wind loads and reduce tilt angle misalignment. The new solution is compatible with large modules up to 685 W.

Japanese researchers have fabricated a heterojunction (HJT) solar cell with silicon and a polymer material known as PEDOT:PSS under room temperature conditions. It has an efficiency of 10.1%, an open-circuit voltage of 0.57 V, a short-circuit current density of 33.3 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 0.53.

The government of Canada announced it is now accepting applications for its Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program. Eligible low-to-middle-income Canadian households currently heating their homes with oil can apply for an upfront payment of up to CAD 10,000 ($7,413) toward purchasing and installing a new, electric, air-source cold climate heat pump.