Energy Storage

The projects shall be co-funded by India’s Department of Science & Technology and the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency. The aim is to make energy supply cleaner, more efficient and affordable by smartly integrating large amounts of renewable energy in local energy systems. Proposals can be submitted till September 1.

While the solar and storage pairing is still relatively new, the growth over the next five years will be significant globally. As against just 5% in 2019, by 2025 more than 25% of all behind-the-meter solar systems will be paired with storage.

Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance say the lowest-cost projects financed in Australia, China, Chile and the UAE in the last six months hit a levelized cost of energy of just $23-29/MWh and the best solar and wind projects will produce electricity for less than $20/MWh by 2030.

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.

Prospective bidders for 34 MW solar project in Telangana and 14 MW solar plus storage project in Ladakh have been asked to submit any queries online as pre-bid meetings get cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown. Further, bidding deadline for Ladakh project has been revised to June 1.

India’s energy storage juggernaut is on a roll with the country discovering the cheapest renewables cum storage tariff in history, anywhere in the world. The technology chosen is pumped storage. And by setting up an enabling environment, the government has signalled its commitment to boosting the market!