India, Sweden to fund joint R&D in smart grids
India’s Department of Science & Technology and the Swedish Energy Agency have launched a collaborative funding program for Indian and Swedish companies that aim to jointly develop new technologies, services and processes in the area of smart grids.
Rooftop PV vs. rooftop farming
U.K. researchers have developed a way to optimize urban rooftop use with solar PV and agriculture.
Mounting structure for balcony solar modules
Sino-Australian manufacturer Clenergy has unveiled a new mounting solution for PV panels installed in balconies. The structure is adjustable to different types of commonly-sized balconies with metal railings.
The future of cars is electric – but how soon is this future?
According to a new report by BloombergNEF, 58% of global passenger vehicle sales in 2040 will come from electric vehicles, yet they will make up less than 33% of all cars on the road.
India and Israel to work together on perovskite solar cells and lithium sulfur batteries
Low-cost batteries and novel perovskite materials are among the topics selected for joint research and development.
Even if organic PV is cheap enough, efficiency does matter
A British-German research team claims that organic PV technologies may become mature enough to compete with crystalline silicon and thin-film products not only in BIPV, but also in power generation in the electricity market. In order to get there, however, organic PV products will have to achieve higher efficiencies.
TERI partners Norway’s Greenstat for Centre of Excellence in hydrogen
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India arm of Norwegian energy company Greenstat to set up a Centre of Excellence for hydrogen in India and accelerate deployment of hydrogen technologies in the country.
New tech to apply perovskite thin-film layers to conventional solar panels
According to its creator, Swedish start-up Evolar, the new technology can be applied to existing production lines for crystalline silicon modules and increase a product’s efficiency by around 5%.
Second-life energy storage winner in EDF’s startup contest
Bangalore-based Nunam—which enables second life for used lithium-ion battery cells—is the winner of Pulse India competition conducted by French energy giant EDF. The EDF contest aims at supporting Indian startups committed to developing low-carbon and sustainable energy solutions.
The long read: Whipping up inertia
Once a natural phenomenon – a fortuitous byproduct of thermal generation – the weaning off of coal has made the emulation of inertia a priority for grid operators. It will be a few more years in most markets before a solution becomes needed with any great urgency. However, some markets have needed to come up with solutions – are they a portal into the future of grids dominated by renewables and power electronics?
