Off Grid

Redox flow batteries are an energy storage technology initially developed by NASA in the 70's for space applications. After several years of intensive R&D, in 2006, several key patents on the technology expired, opening up the arena to companies all around the world.

A recent independent study by Imperial College London has evaluated the potential for new gravity-fed energy storage within the UK energy system. With tens of thousands of vertical mine shafts in the UK alone (UK Coal Authority), the potential initial market is sizeable.

This article provides an overview of energy storage innovations.

There are several flavours of technology today jostling to make the dream of electricity-generating windows a reality.

Photovoltaics is now common on water because cooling increases output. It is used on a vast scale for on-grid solar farms but it has a place off grid too.

This article provides an overview smart windows.

Modern energy harvesting from solar windows to solar roads is about much more than replacing grid electricity: cooking, heating and other high-power activities currently using fossil fuels are now a target too.

Recent progress in renewables has bordered on the surreal. At ICREN Barcelona recently we were invited to consider those giant wind turbines sweeping 200 meters of sky. Up there the wind is stronger and more consistent and that size of turbine is more efficient.

IDTechEx is attending the International Renewable Energy Conference (ICREN) in Barcelona this week. This article reports on their findings from the first day keynotes.

Single crystal silicon photovoltaics will now be very affordable, obsoleting polycrystalline Si PV by having efficiency much higher. Laminating it onto supercapacitor sheeting will form a load bearing material that both makes and stores electricity, delivering it exceptionally fast when needed.