Balance of Systems

Chinese-Canadian PV heavyweight Canadian Solar is set to unveil a new residential energy storage unit that is compatible with new and existing solar arrays and is customisable from 9.9 kWh to 19.9 kWh capacities.

Australia’s first lithium-ion battery giga-factory is expected to begin operations soon with battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance announcing the successful completion of a $1.47 million pilot program designed to develop and test its manufacturing processes, systems and plant design.

Sydney-based lithium-ion battery specialist Magnis Energy Technologies has begun commercial production of full-sized cells at its manufacturing plant in the United States with plans to increase production to 38 GWh of battery cell capacity per year by the end of the decade.

Having established a strong foothold in the Australian market with its solar PV panels, Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar is now seeking to expand its influence in the energy storage space with the launch of its modular Suntank home battery storage system.

Australian renewable energy start-up Canyon Solar has unveiled a prefabricated solar PV shade structure for commercial carpark applications that it claims can be installed at least three times faster than traditional systems and outcompetes rooftop solar PV on a dollar-per-watt basis.

United States-based manufacturer Briggs & Stratton offers the storage solution with a 6kW inverter, a 4.9kWh battery, and a proprietary monitoring system.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a call for homeowners to urgently check their residential energy storage systems amid a national recall of some LG-branded batteries which may overheat and ignite.

Western Australia-based Altech Chemicals’ plan to develop a high-grade alumina coating plant for lithium-ion batteries in Germany has taken a crucial step forward with the acquisition of an industrial site that could potentially house the facility.

Standalone power system specialist Boundary Power has teamed up with Australian hydrogen technology company LAVO to investigate the potential application of its renewable hydrogen energy storage system in power solutions suitable for off-grid and edge-of-grid customers.

Potential price rises of 14% for the solar home systems that are driving access to electricity in the world’s under-served regions could signal further arrested progress towards the UN goal of universal access by 2030.