Energy Storage News

Storage technology is the Holy Grail of a clean energy system, and if Australia wants to become 100 per cent renewable-powered, its public and private sectors must drive mass adoption of battery solutions, said industry experts in Sydney last week. Speaking at the third annual Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition, renewable energy advocate Amy Kean from the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Industry noted that energy storage “unlocks the full potential of renewable sources” by helping to manage the variability of wind and solar power. 

The global clean energy sector continued its breakneck development with a record US$329 billion of new investments last year, and Asia Pacific is at the heart of this boom, according to a new report by professional services firm EY. The London-headquartered consultancy’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index 2016 report, released last month (February 23), showed that Asia Pacific secured almost US$180 million in clean energy investments last year - more than half of the global total.

The Guiding Opinions on the Promotion of “’Internet+’ Smart Energy Development”, officially released on February 29th, 2016, was prepared under the leadership of the National Energy Administration. As China’s top smart grid plan, this document clarifies the development path of the nation’s grid, assigns medium and long-term responsibilities, and encourages mass participation in the market. The scope of the document covers the construction of energy production and consumption infrastructure, innovation in siting energy production and consumption zones, and the establishment of energy networks, new energy transaction systems and business operation platforms, and large-data energy services. It describes financing mechanisms, and promotes energy interconnection.

The University of Queensland and First Solar have started construction on a 3.275 megawatt, 40,000-panel solar photovoltaic research facility, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The facility will be built over 10 hectares at UQ’s Gatton campus and conduct research on large-scale solar as well as generate enough electricity to power 30 per cent of the campus. It will also host a megawatt-hour-scale battery storage research station to investigate the value of short- and medium-term energy storage of large-scale PV, its impact on the quality of power supply and any resulting economic benefits.

Faced with a burgeoning urban population and the need to achieve resource efficiency, city planners are increasingly seeking solutions to green their infrastructural systems and smart grids are poised to play a key role in this transformation. A recent report by GTM Research estimates that the global smart grid market is expected to surpass US$400 billion worldwide by 2020, with an average compound annual growth rate of over eight per cent.

Norwegian hydropower schemes linked to Europe’s large wind farm projects could successfully act as a backup when wind power fails to deliver enough energy, according to SINTEF, the largest independent Scandinavian research organization.  With both on- and off-shore wind power being seen as key to reducing the EU’s carbon emissions by 80-95% by 2050, a big hurdle for the technology is solving the problem of intermittent power production. Sometimes there will be too much power on offer, and at others too little.

Because electricity flows constantly, power grids need to maintain a stable current, known as fault level. And the problem might not be fixed any time soon as the technology to store electricity, and so balance renewable supply, is in its infancy.

There has been a lot of traffic in Germany with regards to energy storage, with more than 10,000 energy storage inverters being shipped there, and the German government handing out more than $67 million worth of subsidies to photovoltaic-tied energy storage systems ... and there is no doubt why the Energy Storage World Forum should be held at the heart of all the action.

Our past 5 Forums had a total of 200+ speakers including more than 30 leading utilities such as EDF, E.ON, ENBW, RWE, GDF SUEZ, TERNA, DONG ENERGY, CHINA STATE GRID, ENEL, with participants from over 35 countries.

In June 2012 delegates gathered in Rome for the 5th Energy Storage Forum for more than 40 presentations by high profile speakers from Europe, the United States, China and India. Representatives from utilities, network operators, manufacturers, consultancies, universities and Government departments came to the event- with each wanting to learn about the value of energy storage in the future electrical systems.

Panasonic announced a new R&D centre for green energy solutions in Singapore.  The centre will test rooftop solar panels, energy storage, energy efficient appliances and residential energy management systems to create low-carbon housing.

Energy storage is the key solution for power grid and renewable energy, generation, transmission, distribution.  However, the energy storage industry faces challenges from technologies, application and policy. Many new technologies need to be tested and verified in maturity, reliability and economy. To maximize the efficiency for the integration of energy storage system in utility-scale, and to realize the industrialization for the industry, would be the focus. We need the clear profit mechanism and related policy, law, regulation for the healthy, rapid and stable development.