Renewables

From 10th to 12th June, 40,000+ visitors and 1,000 exhibitors gathered at Messe München, for Intersolar Europe and the collocated electrical energy storage (ees) exhibition. Together these two shows covered seven halls and attracted visitors from over 143 different countries, emphasising the international nature of the show.

The University of Malta has successfully brought wind lidar technology to the country, with funding from an EU Project. The industry’s single most validated wind lidar, ZephIR 300, will be utilised by the University to assist with Degree programme course delivery and further research within the academic communities based at the University. Furthermore, the high-resolution 50Hz wind data will aid in the prospecting of coastal wind resources.

  Off road trials of the technology needed to power electric and hybrid vehicles on England’s major roads are due to take place later this year.

Parker Hannifin has secured an order from RWE to help accommodate the rising amount of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy generated on its network. The solution, a Parker 890PX series grid-tie inverter paired with LG Chem Li-ion batteries in a container-based energy storage system, will not only defer the otherwise necessary investment in distribution grid upgrades, but reduce solar PV generation curtailment and improve grid power quality in terms of...

A number of auto makers claim that current conductive charging systems, with their cumbersome and heavy cables, are making plug-in hybrid and EVs difficult to sell. Wireless charging systems are being developed to make the charging experience more convenient for consumers and to encourage them to recharge their vehicles more often.

  Optimised for battery pack connections rated from 50 to 400A using a touch-safe interface, Amphenol has released a high current cabling system designed to meet the needs of energy storage for commercial and residential battery storage systems, as well as EVs and HEVs.

According to Lux Research, high-efficiency silicon technologies are the next wave of solar innovation, raising module efficiencies as high as 24% over the next five years. These technologies will boost the ability of distributed generation – mainly on residential and commercial roofs – to compete with big utility-scale solar farms.

Kyocera has announced that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC, its joint venture with Century Tokyo Leasing, has commenced construction of a 23MW solar power plant on an abandoned golf course in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The plant will generate an estimated 26,312MWh per year, enough electricity to power approximately 8,100 typical local households.

Murata has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Nottingham University for the development of a student designed electric racing motorbike. The sponsorship includes the provision of technical engineering support from Murata’s Power division based in Milton Keynes, DC/DC converter supplies, alongside the usual marketing support.

A 7MW wind-turbine designed to operate as a floating wind-turbine in deep water 20km off Fukushima in Japan has been developed by Mitsubishi. The turbine was assembled at the port of Onahama and mounted onto a three-column semi-submersible floating structure. This is the largest wind-turbine of any kind in Japan and the largest floating wind-turbine in the world.