Grids & Integration

Scientists from Spain have outlined several scenarios for developing building-integrated PV solutions in a case study building in Palma de Mallorca. Their economic analysis stressed the importance of electricity pricing schemes for the viability of BIPV projects in the Mediterranean area.

Battolyser Systems has improved the efficiency of its Edison battery for industrial hydrogen production. The Dutch startup said the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) could be cut to €1.50 ($1.58) per kilogram by 2025. It has partnered with the European Investment Bank to support its expansion, with ambitious plans to hit 1 GW of production capacity by 2026.

Energy storage with more than four hours of duration could assume a key role in integrating renewable energy into the US power grid on the back of a potential shift to net winter demand peaks, says the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Italy and Greece have announced plans for a 1 GW subsea interconnection cable. The submarine cable, valued at €750 million ($794.9 million), will connect a new converter station in Galatina, Italy, with a station in Thesprotia, Greece.

Swedish researchers have analyzed the impact of electric aviation and electric vehicle (EV) charging on the power system at Visby Airport. They have discovered that on-site solar panels and battery storage could significantly reduce grid stress, and have proposed a novel approach to battery operation.

Italian researchers studied sodium-seawater batteries (SWBs) for short- and long-term energy storage on Sardinia and found that SWBs with wave energy smoothed out power fluctuations, while enabling a fully decarbonized power generation system over the long run.

An international research team has examined the potential use of hybrid microgrids that integrate PV and biogas for electric vehicle recharging in Karnataka, India. Their findings indicate that this combined approach offers economic and environmental benefits compared to separate biogas and PV systems.

The new optimization method is intended at designing smaller and cheaper heat pumps. Its creators said the new approach also enables higher Opex savings and an improved coefficient of performance.

A research team in Spain has developed an hourly mathematical model that reportedly allows for the optimal management of grid-connected renewable generation facilities and pumped hydro-energy storage with reversible pump turbine. The scientists tested the model on a potential pumped hydro-solar-wind complex in northern Spain and found that the combination of the three technologies may achieve considerable savings.

Moroccan researchers have investigated the potential energy savings of PV systems integrated with biomaterial-based walls in rural areas. They say that solar-powered earth homes could achieve a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of $0.218/kWh.