Tristan Rayner
Data-driven electricity demand to double from 2022 levels by 2026
The world’s reliance on the internet, the shift to cloud computing, and the emergence of AI all fuel demand for more and more data centers. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2026, data centers will consume more than 800 TWh annually, more than double their consumption in 2022. Tristan Rayner takes a look at the role that renewable generation plays in powering a digital world.
Gray skies over Californian solar
There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics, as Tristan Rayner reports.
PV goes portable
Portable solar generators are making their way from the fringes of solar and energy storage to become a mainstream consumer item. The rise has been charged by a range of factors that have created massive brands. Where did the sector emerge from, who was buying before, who is buying now, and what’s next? Tristan Rayner reports.
Innovations in long-duration energy storage
Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is essential for decarbonizing the grid but gigawatt-hour scale systems continue to be tricky for companies with big ideas.
Leading solar inverter trends of 2022
It was a good year for the inverter market. Strong demand was only stifled by supply chain limits, but new inverters are less innovative and show a slower evolution in improvements. Nevertheless, more versatile options are emerging in response to the energy crisis.
US battery startup to produce solid-state batteries with bi-layer cell design
Ion Storage System’s $30 million capital raising will go toward scaling up its solid-state battery cell production facility in Maryland, with aims to produce 10 MWh per year by the end of 2023, for a range of applications.
Tesla sells Maxwell Technologies but keeps its dry cell tech for lithium-ion batteries
Tesla acquired the supercapacitor maker in 2019, but has since moved on and sold the unit to UCAP-Power, while keeping the company’s dry electrode tech.
UK government launches competition to spur long-duration energy storage innovation
New tech which can store power for longer than four hours can secure funds toward demonstrator project costs.
