What does the UK budget mean for solar, storage?
Spending commitments outlined by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves include investment in planning departments, more funds for heat pump grants, confirmation of funding for commercial hydrogen projects, and more cash for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
Sunly starts construction of three solar parks in Latvia
Estonian renewable energy company Sunly is building three solar parks in Latvia with a cumulative capacity of 225 MW. The projects are being developed as hybrid parks, combining solar with wind and battery energy storage.
Battery storage drives revenue for solar arrays in high-demand areas
One to four hours of battery storage for a solar power facility can significantly increase site revenue in areas with high population density or abundant solar energy. However, the added value diminishes with storage capacities exceeding four hours.
As more buildings use heat pumps, four technologies can provide grid support
Wider use of electric heat pumps to heat buildings creates a larger market for renewable energy, but also presents challenges, which can be met through building insulation and weatherization, cold climate heat pumps, thermal energy storage systems, and higher-voltage distribution grids, a report says.
Solid-state batteries enter pilot production, costs expected to drastically drop
The latest findings from Taipei-based intelligence provider TrendForce show that all-solid-state battery production volumes could have GWh levels by 2027. The rapid expansion will lead to cell price declines, reaching CNY 0.6-0.7/Wh ($0,084-$0,098) level by 2035.
Tesla releases Powerwall 3 expansion units for more capacity at lower price
Each expansion unit adds another 13.5 kWh of storage capacity to the original installation with a maximum of three such units connected to a single Powerwall. Now available in the US, the new product comes at a lower cost and slashes installation time by roughly half to 22 minutes.
China State Grid unit completes first phase of 1 GW solar-thermal project
State Grid Turpan Power Supply Co. says it has completed the first phase of a 1 GW hybrid solar-thermal energy storage project in western China. It is set to generate more than 2,000 GWh per year.
Fraunhofer ISE developing lithium extraction processes in Germany
The ThermIon project is intended to take into account the entire process chain from the pretreatment of the brine to lithium extraction and lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide crystallization to the controlled return of the brine. The new process is intended to be both environmentally friendly and economical.
SMA Altenso to build 92.5 MW battery park in Germany
MEAG, the asset manager of Munich Re and Ergo Group, has acquired all shares in the ready-to-build storage project in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. SMA Altenso is to provide the full EPC and O&M services for the battery park, which is scheduled to go online in the second half of 2025.
Solinteg launches new residential solar storage systems
Solinteg has developed the IntegOne HSH, a residential solar storage system that combines a single-phase hybrid inverter with one or two batteries. Up to 10 systems can connect in parallel, offering a maximum efficiency of 97.6%.
