Scott's Solar Blog

According the Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) latest report, CV19 hasn’t appeared to slow Aussie households taking up solar at all. In fact, it appears to be propelling a spike in growth. Around 30% of homes now have rooftop solar, now pushing to set a new local record, and match international benchmarks. Given the ongoing high price of electricity, falling solar costs and lots of sunshine, its no surprise that people are investing in solar as a realistic solution.

A light reactive molecule that stores the heat from sunlight and releases it gradually afterwards is on the way. Scientists want to use this in a window film that can help control the heat levels in buildings. A team of researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden believes they are very close to their goal.

Long term energy storage firm, Highview Power has further developed its cryogenic energy storage system. The idea first started in the 1970’s and is now cost effective. It springs from the need to store clean energy from various sources, to create a continuous power platform. It can now take a multi gigawatt charge.

Every now and then you come across something that takes your attention. What Swedish start up SaltX is doing, is one of those times. Their concept of using modified salts to store and release energy could be a global game changer. So far, their pilot test bed, run from a German power plant, has been a major success.

Researchers at the EPFL campus in Switzerland had made progress with hydrogen. They are using the Sun’s heat, water and a simple catalyst to make hydrogen fuel. Meanwhile another other Swiss team at ETH Zurich has taken a different tack to make a fuel they call “syngas”. The results are mildly astonishing.