Powin, BlackRock start working on world’s largest battery
US battery specialist Powin and US investment firm BlackRock have started work on a 909 MW/1,915 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Australia. Construction is set to begin in 2023 and will finish by mid-2025.
Is hydrogen about to have its solar moment?
As Longi and other solar manufacturers kick off massive growth in hydrogen generation capacity, expect large price decreases resulting from steep learning curves, echoing the rapid advances experienced by the solar power industry since the 1970s.
X-Elio flicks switch on 200 MW Queensland solar project
The 200 MW Blue Grass Solar Farm in Queensland’s Western Downs region has been officially launched with Spanish renewables developer X-Elio announcing the $215 million (USD 145.7 million) project has now achieved full commercial operations.
Forced labour concerns prompt U.S. ports to block over 1,000 shipments of solar components
Panel shipments collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars are blocked from entering the United States market as they have failed scrutiny under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, said Reuters.
Origin board to back Brookfield’s $18.4 billion takeover bid
Australia’s Origin Energy is the target of an $18.4 billion (USD 11.3 billion) takeover bid by a consortium led by Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management which plans to divide the business and invest another $20 billion by 2030 to support the gen-tailer’s transition to clean energy.
Most new solar panels retain 80% production after 30 years
A five-year Sandia Labs study on solar module degradation shows that 13 out of 23 tested module types have effective lifetimes exceeding 30 years.
Standardised measurements for solar water-splitting for green hydrogen
NREL and Berkeley Lab have proposed efficiency and stability best practices for solar water-splitting to make hydrogen, while a team of researchers from Malaysia and Pakistan have revealed their findings on the feasibility of hydrogen-based incineration.
Novel redox flow battery paves way for low-cost storage
US researchers have facilitated the decoupling of power from energy design by incorporating a conducting carbon slurry in the negative electrolyte of an all-iron flow battery. In a new study, they describe the design considerations for slurry iron redox flow battery scalability.
107 MW rackless, earth-mounted solar memorandum of understanding signed
US-based Erthos announced a 14 MW portfolio of earth-mount solar PV projects under contract along with a memorandum of understanding for a 107 MW project.
Putting bifacial modules to the test
US scientists recently put different bifacial solar cells and modules through a series of tests at elevated temperature, humidity, voltage and mechanical stress levels. The tests revealed a range of light-induced and potential-induced degradation mechanisms that modules will likely suffer in the field.
