Energy Digest

The European Commission has sent letters to 18 EU countries that have not fully enacted the right to energy sharing and related consumer rules from the bloc's electricity market reform. The countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Greece, and others, had until July 17, 2026, to transpose a directive allowing households and businesses to share self-generated or stored renewable electricity with other customers. National approaches vary, but some countries like Germany have started implementing energy sharing rules, while others still need to comply with the EU's directive.

Researchers at Hunan University of Technology analyzed energy storage rates in compressed air energy storage caverns under different air injection processes to determine how it affects thermodynamic behavior and efficiency. They developed a numerical model that accounts for turbulent flow, heat transfer, and the thermophysical properties of real air, which improved upon conventional lumped thermodynamic models. The validated model was tested against data from Germany's Huntorf CAES plant, achieving more accurate results than existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models.

Italy has increased the maximum premium for energy storage auctions, setting a new cap of €27,000/MWh per year under resolution 332/2026, up from €22,000 previously. This change is intended to reflect the costs of new entry and guide contractors in determining their guarantees and exit strategies. The increased cap reflects rising market expectations and investment costs for energy storage projects.

UK developers are struggling to secure finance for 100 MW+ solar projects due to a lack of revenue support from policymakers, with some experts warning that more needs to be done to give investors visibility into contracted revenues. The industry faces another challenge in securing skilled labor for large-scale assets as more solar projects are connected to the transmission network. A ninth Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction is needed to provide the necessary revenue support to back a growing pipeline of large-scale projects.

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) SPARK program has announced funding recipients for grid-scale energy storage projects, including battery energy storage systems. Additionally, several companies have expanded or completed renewable energy projects, such as wind repowering, solar installations, and partnerships between Invenergy and HASI. These developments aim to support the growth of clean energy infrastructure in the US.

Bloom Energy's new 800 VDC-native power system uses solid oxide fuel cells to generate direct current, eliminating the need for AC-DC conversions and reducing complexity in high-density AI data centers. This innovative approach enables smoother power distribution and aligns with the voltage needs of next-gen data center setups. The system aims to address the increasing power demands of AI servers, which are straining traditional AC distribution systems.

Demand for electricity in Texas reached a record-breaking 91.1 GW peak during the summer of 2026, surpassing previous records by 45 times, and exceeding summer records set three years prior. This surge was likely fueled by extreme heat. Solar, wind, battery storage, and politics played a significant role in this power imbalance.

Dongfeng Motor has launched an integrated solar-hydrogen-electric station in rural Xinjiang that uses photovoltaic arrays, battery storage, PEM water electrolysis, solid-state hydrogen containment, and a fuel cell to provide off-grid or grid-connected energy. The system can capture sunlight, convert it into electricity, charge batteries, generate hydrogen from excess power, and reconvert the hydrogen back into electricity as needed. The station operates independently, but also has backup capabilities through its hydrogen fuel cell.

Concrete was poured for the second unit of the Bailong Nuclear Power Plant in China, marking a significant milestone in its construction. The ceremony took place on September 27, 2023, at 6:27 PM local time. This marks the beginning of the build-up process for unit 2 of the nuclear power plant.

Tongwei Solar has launched a new 48-cell rooftop solar module with up to 24.5% efficiency and a power gain of 30 W per module compared to conventional modules, allowing for higher installed capacity in limited space. The module delivers higher energy performance under varying operating conditions, with an average 3.3% gain in per-watt generation. Field testing showed significant gains in low-light periods, making it valuable for time-of-use tariffs.