COVID-19 has led to lock-downs. That, in turn, has led to less energy use, creating an opportunity for renewables to shine. They are becoming the lowest-cost energy source on sunny days, although during the evening when electricity demand is high, power prices are spiking. But there is a fix: utilities and onsite generators are using
Heat pumps are confirmed to be included in the government’s £2 billion Green Homes Grant as it urges tradespeople to register for MCS accreditation. The Green Homes Grant was announced in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Summer Statement, with an aim of the government funding up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements of over
A community sports centre in the central Victorian town of Hepburn has been given a solar and battery makeover that will slash the facility’s power costs while also bolstering its role as a dedicated place of last resort in the event of a bushfire. The 25kW solar array and 13.5kWh Telsa Powerwall 2 battery
The small village of La Farge, Wisconsin, was under water in 2018 after its worst flood ever. The flooded Kickapoo River damaged the local electric co-op’s generator and substation and left the city without power for several days. The town’s only gas station was also flooded, so residents who didn’t have power had to
The British government has relaxed planning legislation, in a move that could triple the number of batteries serving the grid. Ministers have today (14 July) passed secondary legislation that removes barriers for storage projects above 50MW in England and 350MW in Wales. The government hopes that this will lead to storage cells five times
As utilities turn off power to prevent wildfires, more homeowners are looking to install battery backup systems The threat of chronic blackouts is sparking a rush to install battery backup systems as California homeowners try to avoid disruptive power cuts related to wildfires. Blackouts are increasingly a part of life as Pacific Gas and
A key committee of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has voted overwhelmingly to thrust energy storage into the heart of the continent’s decarbonisation agenda, while trade group EASE has urged the EU to raise its targets on 2030 emissions reduction. Last week, the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of MEPs voted 53 to
Batteries can offer a cost-effective option for upward and downward reserve to the UK grid, a project run by AI and automation tech firm Arenko with transmission network operator National Grid ESO has found. The trial, first announced in May, found that the Electricity National Control Centre (ENCC) can effectively request the availability of
A combination of residential solar, storage and smart controls could "dramatically reduce" the evening peak. This is according to a new report produced by the Solar Trade Association (STA), Loughborough University and Advanced Further Energy. The report looks into the grid and consumer benefits of four generations of smart home, scaled up across a
A 25-megawatt battery-based energy storage system has been connected to the electricity grid to store surplus power from wind and solar plants. Located in a field near Taunton, it works by buying and storing electricity when it is cheap and then selling it at peak demand for a profit. It also helps the National