Magazine Archive 03 – 2024 | Material change

Around 220 MWh of storage capacity was installed in Spain in 2023, in battery systems of up to 20 kWh, according to EUPD Research. The German consultancy estimates the country could add a further 600 MWh of battery storage with systems of up to 20 kWh in 2024-25. pv magazine explores the developments and trends that are shaping the Spanish market.

Electric vehicle batteries can be repurposed for stationary energy storage, giving them a “second life.” pv magazine spoke to Roman Alberti, co-founder and joint chief executive officer of German startup Voltfang, which remanufactures batteries for use in stationary storage systems and has completed projects with commercial customers including McDonalds and Aldi.

Big batteries are blooming in the Australian sun and they will play an increasingly important role as coal plants are switched off and the share of renewables rises in the energy mix.

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) sits at a crossroads. It is considered a mature form of deep storage due to its components being firmly “de-risked” but few projects are operating in the Western world. Bella Peacock examines how compressed air storage technology works and what’s in the pipeline.

While lithium ion battery prices are falling again, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. With a global ramp-up of cell manufacturing capacity under way, it remains unclear whether this promising technology can tip the scales on supply and demand. Marija Maisch reports.

Energy storage is the new solar for an increasing number of Chinese PV manufacturers. However, China still requires enabling policies for storage to provide the end-market volumes needed to bolster the fortunes of manufacturers old and new.

In addition to the cost of electricity, the price of hydrogen depends largely on the up-front investment cost of the electrolyzer. The lower the full-load hours, the greater the impact. Analyst BloombergNEF (BNEF) sees a number of different possible pathways for the market to develop.

There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics, as Tristan Rayner reports.

The first installations featuring the Tesla Powerwall 3 are currently being completed in the United States, with the company promoting a fully integrated solar-plus-storage and electric vehicle (EV) residential system, with big backup power capacity. While the first Powerwall created a new market segment, the latest iteration enters a marketplace in oversupply.

Lithium ion is the industry standard for a reason. Marija Maisch examines the most promising technological advances that could lead to further improvements in performance and cost from this versatile battery chemistry.