Energylab opens start-up accelerator in Brisbane, supporting two solar start-ups
The start-up accelerator programme widened its reach to Brisbane. Off-grid solar bicycles and modular solar batteries are among the first to enjoy the kickstart.
US: Tesla Powerwall adds time-based control
A software update for the Powerwall 2 home energy storage system adds controls to allow owners to take advantage of time of use electricity rates in California and other states.
Panasonic, Tesla reveal plan to produce lithium batteries in China
Tesla’s batteries may soon be Made in China. The announcement was made by Panasonic CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga during a conference accompanying the company’s 2018 fiscal-year results last Friday.
18 MW Tesla battery ‘backbone’ of new Belgium VPP
The installation of an 18 MW battery storage system shows the Belgium region of Flanders’ pioneering work in integrating innovative storage systems to its electricity grid.
Musk hints at 1 GW battery as Tesla U.S. solar power installations fall further
The company’s energy generation and storage division set a record of $410 million in revenue during Q1, but solar power fell to 2013 deployment levels.
Iconic Mercedes-Benz star to disappear from residential market
The German car maker entered the solar PV home storage business in mid-2016. In the future, its parent company, Daimler will align the stationary storage segment with its grid business.
Fronius introduces Ohmpilot – water heating with excess PV power
Fronius is introducing its Ohmpilot solution to the Australian market. The Ohmpilot is a consumption regulator that can utilize solar electricity not used in the home to heat water in boilers or buffer storage tanks.
ABB supplies 30 MW battery, microgrid to the Pilbara
Swiss electricity infrastructure giant ABB has supplied a large battery storage and microgrid solution to Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The system was installed at Alinta Energy’s 178 MW gas-fired Newman Power Station, which supplies a major iron-ore mine in the mineral-rich region.
Storage pipeline grows to 10.4 GW, installations reached 1.9 GW in 2017, finds IHS Markit
Analyst data records 53% annual growth in storage in 2017, rising to 1.9 GW as South Korea climbed to top of the tree in terms of cumulative capacity. Global project pipeline has soared to 10.4 GW.
NEG – a political hot potato
In anticipation of a more detailed presentation of the scheme, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg used the opportunity of the speech to the National Press Club to present the National Energy Guarantee as the best possible option to ensure reliability of supply, describing it as “technology neutral”. Amid mounting criticism leveled by retailers, analysts and leading developers of battery storage, few signs of a national consensus on the proposed NEG are emerging.
