Technology

The OFW Solar Project in Virginia submitted an application to connect to powerlines run by the wrong power company, instead of a second set of nearby transmission lines, necessitating a total restart of the PJM interconnection process that could push construction back to 2032.

Much more community solar could be built in upstate and western New York to bring solar bill savings to more customers, if utilities offered flexible interconnection as an option for solar developers, NY SEIA has projected. Retail battery storage hosting capacity could more than double in ConEdison territory with flexible interconnection, the group said.

U.S. researchers developed a meta-weakly solvating electrolyte that optimizes sodium-ion solvation structure, enabling faster ion transport, reduced side reactions, and improved interfacial stability in high-voltage sodium-ion batteries. This design significantly extends cycle life and outperforms conventional and localized high-concentration electrolytes by promoting more uniform and stable electrode–electrolyte interfaces.

Battery technology company Unigrid has developed a sodium-ion chemistry that can theoretically last for more than two decades while retaining more than 80% of its initial energy storage capacity. Company CEO Darren Tan says that will inevitably lead to a new zero-down leasing model that locks in a long-term source of revenue while delivering benefits to end users.

The company will use its orbit-to-grid energy technology to provide resilient power for Department of War operations in “logistically constrained environments.”

Sense and ev.energy open windows on ratepayer and utility sides of distributed energy resource management.

The 1.6 MW Nexus pilot project in California has demonstrated that solar panels installed over irrigation canals can significantly reduce water evaporation and algae growth by 85%, while also showing operational efficiency.

The May 1 go-live of the Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM) marks the first time Western utilities can coordinate large-scale solar and storage resources 24 hours in advance, a move projected to significantly slash curtailment and boost regional reliability.

The California-based nonprofit, backed by a $28 million state energy commission grant, aims to provide an open-access pilot manufacturing line for battery startups to scale their technologies without the need to raise massive amounts of capital.

Researchers in Canada designed an air-source heat pump integrated with an air-based solar collector and radiant floor heating for cold climates, showing that the proposed system configuration could improve the coefficient of performance from 2–4 to 2–6 and reduce significantly annual energy consumption.