Distributed Storage

The state-owned power producer has invited global Expression of Interest (EOI) for supply of hydrogen fuel cell based electric buses and cars—ten each—for pilot projects in Delhi and Leh. The last date for submission of EOI is May 15.

Researchers from Deakin University in Australia claim their battery chemistry is based on a new class of electrolyte material which carries no risk of uncontrolled thermal events and represents a viable alternative to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Earlier this year, when a landmark tender by India’s nodal agency for solar energy, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), concluded the largest solar-cum-storage tender globally (~3 GWh of storage connected to 1.2 GW of solar), it highlighted a critical challenge India faces in bringing solar energy to scale: battery storage technologies.

A French-Turkish research team has created an economic model to optimize scheduling for solar-powered EV charging units. The proposed model suggests that such projects might be more profitable today than at the end of the decade, depending on a wide range of variables.

April 10 is the last date to submit technical bids for installation and commissioning of the rooftop solar systems with battery backup at State Bank of India’s branches, offices and residences in Chandigarh region.

U.S.-owned analyst Wood Mackenzie expects solar demand to decline but predicts the market will recover, with the prospects for the energy transition remaining intact.

Under joint venture ‘Shuchi Anant Virya,’ Fourth Partner Energy has commissioned solar powered charging facilities in Gurugram and Pune which will enable commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleet operator Lithium Urban Technologies to charge around 30 and 40 EVs, respectively, at the same time.

The entire cost of charging infrastructure for these electric buses—including cost of charging equipment and installation—shall also be borne by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.

Demand for batteries is going nowhere but up, as new factories seem to appear almost every week with promises to power electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and grid-connected storage. But the lithium-ion technology that all of these rely on is not without drawbacks, and a whole host of new storage solutions is eager to get out of the laboratory.

A report by Norwegian energy consultant DNV GL has considered the opportunity for long-term energy storage to play a role in balancing annual supply and demand fluctuations in a renewables-led grid. Using 58 years of Dutch weather and energy consumption data, the study found long-term solutions such as green hydrogen could make a valuable contribution – but perhaps not as much as some analysts believe.