Highlights

EU industry body EUROBAT has called for the bloc to adopt a battery industrial strategy and has pushed the claims of domestic manufacturers in the same manner as India has, as the race hots up to dominate the global energy storage market.

Bids are invited to supply 10 sets of 1×5 MW or 2×2.5MW 3-phase grid-connected containerized power-conditioning units for a MAHAGENCO project in Maharashtra. The scope of work also includes installation and commissioning. Bids will open on October 10.

The solar battery house—an innovative design by education reformist Sonam Wangchuk—will shelter soldiers of the Indian Army from the extreme Ladakhi winters.

Research institutes have moved quickly to emulate the successes observed in a test installation at Jodhpur as India races to meet an ambitious target of doubling agricultural income by 2022.

There is a need to shift the consumer mindset from conventional backup solutions to battery storage too even as the industry gets more clarity on technical feasibility for the Indian context.

Plans for a gigawatt factory in Saudi Arabia, bullet-proof warranties and an international vanadium rental service are propelling a new generation of batteries into the energy storage big league. Pioneers of redox flow technology claim that they can put an end to the degradation and safety issues afflicting lithium-ion batteries. They also expect imminent economies of scale to reduce the cost of bulk energy storage and unlock new markets for solar power.

The project—to be commissioned within 21 months—will come up on the reservoir of NTPC Kayamkulam in District Allappuzha.

Take-up has been slow considering the nation’s mammoth agricultural industry but, as a packed session on the topic at the recent REI show illustrated, attitudes may be changing in a nation which is already installing solar greenhouses.

Streamlining the Discoms, better financing options, customer-centric approach, data sharing and push for residential through standardization are a few steps that can help India achieve its ambitious rooftop solar target.

With commissioning of the balance 351 MW of projects in four districts of Tamil Nadu, the state-run power producer has completed the entire 709 MW solar capacity awarded by utility Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation.