Energy Storage News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Moniz Unanimously Confirmed As New DOE Chief

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:55:25 GMT

Ernie Moniz has been unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next Secretary of Energy, in a 97-0 vote (with three nonvoters). He succeeds Stephen Chu who held the position for four years.

Fighting Blackouts: Japan Residential PV and Energy Storage Market Flourishing

Junko Movellan, Correspondent — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:50:15 GMT

In the past, a PV system with battery storage was associated with the off-grid system — not connected to the utility grid. The battery stores the energy produced by the PV system and when the sun goes down, electricity is drawn from the battery. In Japan, the battery became attractive to store electricity from "the grid," to reduce electricity bills.

When Will Solar Batteries Become Economical?

Sascha Rentzing, Contributor — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

It's always the same problem: You save energy but the electricity bills are still getting more expensive. Luckily, there is a solution: Solar power can be generated in Germany for 12 cents per kilowatt hour. In contrast, utilities currently charge an average of 25 cents for domestic electricity. What better reason to invest into your own photovoltaic system? Solar storage systems can increase on-site consumption by up to 70 percent. They absorb surplus solar power and pass on the energy as required — expensive grid power is hardly necessary. This makes the systems very attractive for consumers: According to an EuPD Research survey, almost 90 percent of solar operators are already thinking about buying an additional storage system.

The Finnish Hydrogen Roadmap: Hydrogen to Join Electricity in Ending Traffic Pollution

Jussi Solin, Technical Research Center of Finland — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Global expectations for hydrogen are currently sky-high. Transport applications stand at the threshold of commercialisation, while ahead lies an investment boom in the hydrogen distribution network. The changeover to hydrogen based on natural gas would already mean a potential saving of billion in Finland's balance of payments. If hydrogen could then be produced from domestic renewable raw material, our car and bus traffic would eventually be practically self-sufficient and leave a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The above was revealed in the Finnish hydrogen roadmap published recently.

EU Debate Over Climate Change Policy Could Dampen Renewable Energy Growth

Ewa Krukowska and Alex Morales, Bloomberg — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:39:31 GMT

Europe's program to halt climate change is in disarray with lawmakers in the region expressing concern the drift is undermining the planet's most significant effort to combat global warming.

New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Energy Power the Grid

Mike Ross, SLAC — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

Distributed Energy Storage Benefits on Both Sides of the Meter

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Solar and wind are excellent sources of clean, renewable energy, but as they contribute a larger share to the generation fleet, their integration will become increasingly challenging. The reason: solar and wind cannot be dispatched in the same way as other sources of energy, such as nuclear, hydro, and fossil fuels. Because the grid must operate “j

Asia Report: Balancing China's Solar PV Market Volatility

Renewable Energy World Editors — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

China's solar PV demand sunk 23 percent in 1Q13 to 6.2 gigawatts (GW), driven by seasonality and policy incentive deadlines. Chinese demand largely drove a burnoff in upstream inventory accumulated over several quarters, but repetitive swings in Chinese demand over the next year will emphasize the need for smart capacity utilization and inventory control, according to SolarBuzz analyst Michael Barker in a recent report.

IRS Confirms that Batteries Qualify for the Energy Tax Credit But Imposes Limitations

Kelly Kogan, Chadbourne & Parke — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A recent IRS ruling confirms that batteries used to store solar electricity qualify for the 30% energy tax credit. At the same time, it imposes significant limits on the amount of the available credit if the battery also stores electricity drawn from the utility grid.

Germany to Support Solar Energy Storage with New Subsidy

Ehren Goossens, Bloomberg — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:34:41 GMT

Germany will subsidize consumers' purchases of battery systems to store power from solar panels through a 25 million-euro ($32.6 million) program to promote wider use of renewable energy, according to the German Solar Industry Association.

Renewables Are "Bright Spot" in Bleak Low-carbon Outlook

Tildy Bayar, Associate Editor, Renewable Energy World — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Today in New Delhi the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed the latest figures from its annual report on global progress towards a low-carbon future. The agency addressed its report to a meeting of the Clean Energy Ministerial, a group of ministers representing nations that collectively emit four-fifths of global greenhouse gases.

2030: A Future Roadmap for Renewables?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A recent European Commission Green Paper seeking views on the development of intermediate renewable energy and climate targets for 2030 has prompted calls from the industry to adopt a three part approach, targeting renewable energy, energy efficiency and emissions reduction. Formally opening an ongoing debate, the consultation — the Commission says

NRG Introducing Solar with Battery Storage for Homeowners

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

NRG Energy keeps making waves—in energy. The energy supplier, which owns gigawatts of electric generation, including solar, wind, natural gas and coal facilities across the U.S., recently started going a lot smaller, offering residential solar photovoltaic installations through its subsidiary, NRG Residential Solar. Now it plans to offer PV systems

The Limits of Renewable Energy: A Call for Research and Development

Matthew Stepp, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation. — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:50:19 GMT

We're losing the race against global warming. Worldwide coal production increased about eight times faster than solar- and wind-power generation last year. China added more new coal plants in 2011 than are running in Texas and Ohio, even as it leads the world in wind-power capacity. Meanwhile, the United States is only modestly cutting carbon emissions by transitioning from coal to natural gas, which is still a carbon-rich fuel.

Energy Storage Series: Why We Need It, And Why We Don't

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

It's almost a cliché that there's a "friendly debate" pitting utilities against renewable energy. But concerns on the utility side of the table are real: intermittency, potential destabilization at the feeder level, non-baseload, and peaks in generation that don't necessarily match demand peaks. Today's power infrastructure involves unpredictability in both supply and demand that is extremely difficult to manage. The choice comes down to two options: over-generate so as to not undersupply, or find ways to better match up supply and demand.

Breaking News: Martians Offer Earthlings Low-Cost Clean Energy

Renewable Energy World Editors — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 04:01:00 GMT

RenewableEnergyWorld.com has learned of secret meetings that have been held between UN energy ministers and Martian ministers of energy regarding the terawatts of easily exploitable geothermal energy that Mars possesses.

Australia Backs Renewable Energy Targets

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:02:45 GMT

In response to a statutory review, The Australian Government's Climate Change Authority has committed to maintaining its renewable energy target (RET) of 20 percent of the nation's electricity (roughly 41,000 GWh) coming from renewable sources by 2020. The Government also emphasizes that 20 percent is only a minimum target, and leaves "the way open for improvements in energy efficiency to deliver a higher share of renewable energy."

The Good and Bad News of DoE Fiscal Year Budget Request

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:00:00 GMT

The good news is the Department of Energy (DoE) FY 2013 budget request of $2,337 million for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs (EERE) shows a 29 percent increase from the enacted FY 2012 budget. The bad news is the FY 2013 has not been approved by Congress, as of this writing, see Table 1 below. Table 1: FY 2013 DoE Budget Request

The Clouds are Getting Greener: Apple Data Centers Powered by 100% Renewables

Meg Cichon, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:57:03 GMT

Just one year after Greenpeace called out Apple for its use of fossil fuels in its "How Green Is Your Cloud" report – which graded Apple no higher than a "D" in four categories consisting of energy transparency, infrastructure siting, energy efficiency, and renewables and advocacy – Apple announced that its data centers are now powered by 100 percent renewable energy. In fact, renewables contribute to 75 percent of its entire corporate operations energy needs, according to its website.

Greening City Grids for EVs

Elisa Wood, Contributor — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:21:00 GMT

Short of putting a windmill on top of a car - a parody vehicle that became a source of political jesting during the 2012 U.S. presidential election - electric vehicle (EV) owners have little control over the ultimate emissions profile of their cars. An EV is only as clean and green as the last charging station it visited. And in most cases, that charging station is only as green as the electric grid that feeds it.