Industry News

The world's first commercial solar electric vehicles are hitting the U.S. and European markets in the next few years. German company Sono Motors, Southern California-based Aptera Motors and Dutch company Lightyear are all producing electric vehicles with integrated solar panels, which can harness the sun's power to provide around 15-45 additional miles on a clear day.

The automotive industry knows it needs to invest in other alternatives to lithium-ion, but the chemistry is widely used for a reason — they charge faster, last longer, and have a higher power density. Yet many automakers are turning to lithium iron phosphate anyway.

The much-anticipated Qatar World Cup has begun. Are you looking forward to any players or teams? Although the Chinese men's football team did not go there, the "Qatar World Cup" is full of many Chinese elements, such as Chinese giant pandas, Chinese referees, Chinese electric vehicles, etc., and of course Chinese photovoltaics!

Lithium batteries are employed in numerous applications today. And because well-known companies are now making electric cars, the demand for these batteries has recently increased to enormous levels.

After years of research, Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) have established themselves as the unique, preferred means to store power. From handheld camcorders to smartphones, laptops to electric vehicles and space stations, and large power plants to home UPS devices, LIBs find a variety of applications. The small size of the batteries, lightweight, affordability, and ability to sustain multiple charge cycles make LIBs a popular choice for energy storage.

Multiple factors can affect the lifespans of residential battery energy storage systems. In the first two parts of this series, PV magazine reviewed the productive lifespan of residential solar panels and inverters. Now, we examine home batteries, how well they perform over time, and how long they last.