Author: solarenergy
Britain is one of several countries to score a perfect ten for its policy and technology environment for conventional pumped water storage (PHS) in a report published by Energy Systems Catapult.The report, Mission Innovation – Long-term energy storageanalyzes the viability of deploying long-term energy storage systems (LDES) in a number of countries and for a number of technologies, assigning countries scores out of ten to assess the current political and economic environment’s support for new LDES deployments.In general terms, the report concludes that countries with a number of LDES deployments are more attractive destinations, as these older projects demonstrate the…
The EU Innovation Fund has awarded €2.9 billion ($3.4 billion) to 61 projects, including eight advanced hydrogen technologies in aviation, shipping and heavy transport. November 7, 2025 Sergio Matalucci The European Union has chosen 61 net-zero technology projects for funding under the Innovation Fund for NetZero Technologies call, with a total support of €2.9 billion. Eight of these projects focus on hydrogen, including the Danish Endor project to build large-scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (eSAF), the Spanish Luxia project for the integrated production of renewable hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, and the H2CWAY project in the Czech Republic to produce two types…
A group of scientists in China have conducted an extensive study on the existing low-cost approaches to photovoltaic monitoring. They found that only 11 of 88 studies related to PV monitoring included machine learning. The researchers urge the scientific community to place more emphasis on lightweight machine learning solutions and smartphone-based integration. November 7, 2025 Lior Kahana Researchers from the American University of Iraq have conducted a systematic literature review on low-cost monitoring systems for photovoltaic (PV) installations, focusing on hardware, software and system integration, and highlighting the challenges and opportunities for the future of these systems. “As solar energy…
November 7, 2025 Marija Maisch Sinopec and LG Chem sign agreement to jointly develop sodium-ion battery materials Image: Sinopec By ESS news China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and South Korea’s LG Chem have signed a joint development agreement to develop key materials for sodium-ion batteries as the technology moves closer to mass commercialization. Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate in the development of cathode and anode materials for sodium-ion batteries, targeting applications in energy storage systems and low-speed electric vehicles in China and international markets. The partnership aims to “accelerate the commercialization of sodium-ion battery technology, explore…
Open Climate Fix says its Quartz Solar tool will save the UK grid operator £30 million ($39 million) a year through more accurate forecasts, reducing the spare capacity needed to balance the electricity system. The non-profit company has used machine learning techniques with satellite, weather and historical generation data to reduce forecast errors by half. November 7, 2025 Matthew Lynas A newly deployed AI-powered solar energy tool is expected to save the UK electricity grid millions of pounds in balancing costs by making more accurate predictions about solar power generation. Quartz Solar from Open Climate Fix is now being used…
The 556 MW GulfStar solar power plant in Wharton County, Texas. Credit: Enel Enel North America completed its largest power plant in the United States with the start of operation of the 556 MWdirect current GulfStar Solar Plant in Wharton County, Texas. It is located next to an operational 355 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which entered commercial service for the first time in late 2024. GulfStar’s solar and BESS facilities are expected to generate more than $200 million in combined local tax payments and revenues for landowners over their lifetime. More than 1,200 workers were involved in the…
The researchers used computational fluid dynamics-based modeling of snow patterns in an effort to identify best practices to reduce snow accumulation in alpine PV installations. November 7, 2025 Valerie Thompson Researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Switzerland have modeled snow patterns to identify some best practices for PV installations built with Helioplant, a patented Austrian vertical PV frame structure. “PV systems in the Alps have shown strong potential for electricity production in winter, particularly due to the reflection of incoming solar radiation by the snow cover. While…
Construction of the 680MW/1,360MWh Carrington project at Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park in Greater Manchester began in autumn 2025, with commissioning expected in late 2026. According to the company, the project builds on its 1 GW strategic partnership with Statkraft, which will provide route-to-market (RTM) services, and will be delivered with Envision Energy supplying the battery energy storage system (BESS) units. Tom Vernon, CEO of Statera Energy, said: “Achieving Carrington Storage’s financial close is a significant milestone for Statera.” “It brings us closer to our target of more than 5GW of BESS capacity operational by 2030, strengthening network flexibility and…
The electricity grid is expected to be increasingly affected by climate change and resulting severe weather events, which are expected to multiply as our world warms. Fires, floods, hurricanes and even extreme heat waves will and are already impacting electricity transmission around the world. Recent events in Texas are a case in point: rapid and intense rainfall damaged critical infrastructure, including substations and transmission lines, leading to both power losses in affected areas and challenges in quickly and effectively restoring full service. A power grid is considered resilient if it can withstand the effects of severe weather, or, if severe…
The market for PPAs – contracts through which utilities or industrial companies purchase electricity from renewable energy projects on fixed terms – is weakening dramatically and undergoing a major transition. These were the two main conclusions of RE-Source, held this week at the historic Amsterdam Stock Exchange, which brought together 1,450 experts in energy trading, sustainable generation and industrial energy consumption. Guy Brindley, head of market intelligence at WindEurope, estimated that in Europe around 60 GW of capacity is traded under PPAs, including 25 GW of solar, representing around 130 TWh – almost a quarter of Germany’s annual electricity consumption.…