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Lithium Iron Phosphate VS. Lithium-Ion: The Differences

April 18, 2021

Lithium-ion and Lithium iron phosphate are two types of batteries used in today’s portable electronics. While they both share some similarities, there are major differences in high-energy density, long life cycles, and safety. Most people are familiar with lithium-ion as they most likely own a smartphone, tablet, or PC. Lithium iron phosphate (AKA LiFePO4 or LFP) is a newer type of battery gaining recognition in the manufacturing industries due to its cost-effective materials and stability with high temperatures.

When using power sources to run embedded components, it’s not always simple to pop in a fresh set of batteries. Newer technologies, from smartphones to electric vehicles to portable power tools, require batteries that can hold a significant amount of energy, be lightweight enough to carry or move, and be safe for the user. Lithium batteries offer all these benefits for portable electronics, vehicles, medical equipment, and even grid energy storage.

Chemistries Of Lithium Iron Phosphate And Lithium-Ion

Charge and discharge rates of a battery are governed by C-rates. The capacity of a battery is commonly rated at 1C, meaning that a fully charged battery rated at 1Ah should provide 1A for one hour. The same battery discharging at 0.5C should provide 500mA for two hours, and at 2C it delivers 2A for 30 minutes.

Lithium-Ion

Lithium-ion can consist of two different chemistries for the cathode, lithium manganese oxide or lithium cobalt dioxide, as both have a graphite anode. It has a specific energy of 150/200 watt-hours per kilogram and a nominal voltage of 3.6V. Its charge rate is from 0.7C up to 1.0C as higher charges can significantly damage the battery. Lithium-ion has a discharge rate of 1C.

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)

Lithium iron phosphate has a cathode of iron phosphate and an anode of graphite. It has a specific energy of 90/120 watt-hours per kilogram and a nominal voltage of 3.20V or 3.30V. The charge rate of lithium iron phosphate is 1C and the discharge rate of 1-25C.

Example of a Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Cell

Example of lithium iron phosphate battery cells.

What Are The Energy Level Differences?

There are significant differences in energy when comparing lithium-ion and lithium iron phosphate. Lithium-ion has a higher energy density at 150/200 Wh/kg versus LiFep04 at 90/120 Wh/kg. So, lithium-ion is normally the go-to source for power hungry electronics that drain batteries at a high rate.

On the other hand, the discharge rate for lithium iron phosphate outmatches lithium-ion. At 25C, lithium iron phosphate batteries have voltage discharges that are excellent when at higher temperatures. The discharge rate doesn’t significantly degrade the lithium iron phosphate battery as the capacity is reduced.

Life Cycle Differences

Lithium iron phosphate has a lifecycle of 1,000-10,000 cycles. These batteries can handle high temperatures with minimal degradation. They have a long life for applications that have embedded systems or need to run for long lengths of time before needing to be charged.

For lithium-ion, the higher energy density makes it more unstable, especially when dealing with higher operating temperature environments. It has a life cycle of 500-1,000 cycles as it can be negatively impacted based on the operating temperature of the electronics or working components.

Long-Term Storage Benefits

When it comes to storing unused batteries, it is important to pick a chemistry that doesn’t lose its charge over long periods of time. Instead, the battery should give close to the same charge performance as when it is used for over a year. Both lithium iron phosphate and lithium ion have good long-term storage benefits. Lithium iron phosphate can be stored longer as it has a 350-day shelf life. For lithium-ion, the shelf life is roughly around 300 days.

Safety Advantages Of Lithium Iron Phosphate

Manufacturers across industries turn to lithium iron phosphate for applications where safety is a factor. Lithium iron phosphate has excellent thermal and chemical stability. This battery stays cool in higher temperatures. It is also incombustible when it is mishandled during rapid charges and discharges or when there are short circuit issues. Lithium iron phosphate does not normally experience thermal runaway, as the phosphate cathode will not burn or explode during overcharging or overheating as the battery remains cool.

However, the chemistry of lithium-ion does not have the same safety advantages as lithium iron phosphate. Its high energy density has the disadvantage of causing the battery to be unstable. It heats up faster during charging as a lithium-ion battery can experience thermal runaway.

Another safety advantage of lithium iron phosphate involves the disposal of the battery after use or failure. A lithium-ion battery made with a lithium cobalt dioxide chemistry is considered a hazardous material as it can cause allergic reactions to the eyes and skin when exposed. It can also cause severe medical issues when swallowed. So, special disposal considerations must be made for lithium-ion. On the other hand, lithium iron phosphate is nontoxic and can be disposed of more easily by manufacturers.

Applications For Lithium Iron Phosphate And Lithium-Ion

Lithium iron phosphate is sought after for any electronics or machines where safety and longevity are desired but doesn’t need an extremely high energy density. Electric motors for vehicles, medical devices, and military applications where the technology will experience higher environmental temperatures. Lithium iron phosphate is also ideal for applications that are more stationary as the battery is slightly heavier as well as bulkier than lithium-ion, although it can be used in some portable technologies.

LiFePO4 may not be selected for applications where portability is a major factor due to its extra weight. For smartphones, laptops, and tablet devices, lithium-ion batteries are used. Any high-energy device that needs the best performance on the first day can benefit from the chemistry found on lithium ion batteries.

Besides looking for the right energy sources based on portability, safety and energy density, manufacturers also must consider the costs during the production of electronics as well as during disposal. Many manufacturers will select lithium iron phosphate as the cheaper battery alternative. The batteries cost less due to the safer iron phosphate chemistry as manufacturers don’t have to spend more money to recycle the materials.

Lithium Offering A Range Of Benefits

Advances in battery technologies has placed lithium chemistry at the head of the pack for being the best power source for high energy use devices that are portable. It’s long shelf life and the benefit in providing a continuous source of power over long periods of time is why both lithium-ion and LiFePO4 are reliable alternatives.

Currently, lithium batteries are still on the pricey side when compared to nickel metal hydride and nickel cadmium batteries. Yet, the long life of lithium batteries can equal out the initial high costs. For manufacturers trying to decide whether lithium-ion or LiFePO4 will be ideal for applications, consider these key factors:

Highest energy density: lithium-ion
Good energy density and lifecycle: LFP
Stable chemical and thermal chemistry: LFP
No thermal runaway and safe when fully charged: LFP
Portability and lightweight characteristics: lithium-ion
Long life: lithium iron phosphate and lithium-ion
Low costs: LFP

Also, take the operating environment into serious consideration as well as any vibration issues that may be experienced. These instances may influence a manufacturer’s choices as the chemistry stability that lithium iron phosphate offers are superior than that of lithium-ion.

Fighting Covid 19 with Chauvin Arnoux

January 26, 2021

The Chauvin Arnoux Group in association with Nocheski puts all its know-how at the service of the prevention of the Covid 19 pandemic in Ghana

Measuring devices, metrology and low temperature sensors … the Chauvin Arnoux group offers a complementary offer to meet the health prevention challenges of today and tomorrow: Measure and analyze the quality of ambient air, identify potential carriers of ‘a Covid 19 Virus with infrared, control the temperature of vaccine storage freezers using low temperature probes.

WATCH VIDEO

Analyze the ambient air

The measurement of indoor air quality is essential to fight against the spread of Viruses, in particular that of COVID 19, in a building (schools, nurseries, offices, seminar rooms, workshops, public transport, hospitals, etc.) . At the heart of this prevention strategy, “measurement” and its analysis tools take on their full importance.

The CA 1510 portable air analyzer from CHAUVIN ARNOUX, very efficient in closed places, instantly records air particles according to standard thresholds and. It alerts by sound and “red screen” in the event of non-compliance with air quality criteria based on the CO2 level, temperature or humidity level or even the combination of the three physical quantities measured (CO2, temperature and relative humidity). Natural or artificial ventilation in confined spaces also plays a role in the spread of Covid 19 Viruses. In this respect, in addition, the CA 1227 thermo-anemometer has all the useful functions for measuring speed and air flow. Essential information to optimize the good ventilation of rooms.

Identify potential carriers of a Covid 19 Virus

In prevention, the measurement of potential indicators of disease such as fever are also provided by thermometers and thermal body cameras. The portable thermal camera CA 1900, easy to use, with immediate results and in complete safety through contactless distance, is one of the new sanitary devices to identify any person with too high a temperature and thus preventively fight against the risks of transmission of the disease.

Store vaccines

As part of the storage of the Covid 19 vaccine, the MANUMESURE company supports professionals in mapping their freezers at -80 ° C in COFRAC, intervening directly and quickly on site. PYROCONTROLE offers a range of low temperature (-80 °) temperature probes essential for players in the “Covid vaccine” sector; logistics (storage and transport), hospitals, pharmacists, doctors or even manufacturers of freezers …

The Chauvin Arnoux Group thus puts all its know-how, its adapted measuring devices and its metrology services at the service of pandemic prevention, to fully play its role in health situations such as the one we are experiencing today. For further inquiries on how to order these fine products in Ghana and the West Africa Region du contact Nocheski on +233303211743 +233244270092 (Whatsapp) or email [email protected]

Solar Power as a Work-From-Home Perks?

August 26, 2020

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Ever heard of Solar Power as a Working-From-Home Perk? Installing solar power systems is already a tedious process for homeowners, and with many of us working and learning remotely, we’re too distracted to get started. Those renting or living in states where policies have made solar power a no-go can forget about it — lower bills due to solar are a pipe dream. But as many companies scramble to keep their employees motivated and rethink perks while their employees work from home, a Washington, D.C.-based startup says it has a solution.

Arcadia describes itself as the first nationwide “digital utility” in the U.S. Since its founding in 2014, the company’s platform is now available in all 50 states and with more than 100 power utilities. Users can acquire a solar power subscription from Arcadia, buy as little as one solar panel or more, and see the results as a credit on their monthly utility bills.

Therein lies an opportunity for a company’s virtual human resources desk to offer a new benefit to employees.

It’s true that we’ve seen a decrease in emissions worldwide due to the novel corona virus pandemic; how much of a reduction varies by the sources consulted. But here’s the problem for companies: For those that are tabulating their emissions as part of their sustainability or environmental responsibility strategies, many of those emissions have simply shifted from the properties they own or lease to their employees’ individual homes. Solar power can help solve that problem.

After all, many individuals’ utility bills have bumped upward, as we’re leaving our devices charged and air conditioning units running with greater frequency — not to mention the fact we’re using our household appliances more (yes, opening that fridge door constantly as a procrastination tactic adds more to your utility bill in the long term). But with working from home becoming the reality for many through 2021, companies now have the chance to offer employees financial relief while swatting away some of their own emissions.

In a recent interview with Fast Company, Arcadia CEO Kiran Bhatraju said the company’s corporate clients so far include McDonald’s, SkySpecs and CustomerFirst Renewables. But with more companies saying that working from home for the most part ended up becoming a net positive after the initial shell shock, watch for Arcadia to win more clients as remote work is redefining the very notion of “perks.”

In Ghana, where the Corona virus has increased working from home options for many employees especially in the banking sector. Nocheski has therefore developed special packages solar packages at very competitive prices. Call 0244270092 for more information

Shrimp to Spark Flow Battery Storage Revolution

July 9, 2020

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Low cost, large-scale Battery storage is the key to accelerating the renewable energy revolution, and now shrimp have been enlisted in the cause. The aim is to push down the cost of flow batteries by using bio-based materials such as shrimp shells. That would help ramp up the transition out of fossil fuels and into clean power, thus saving the planet in time to avert a climate catastrophe.

Scientists led by MIT have suggested chitin, a carbon and nitrogen-rich material made from waste shrimp shells, could produce sustainable electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries and other energy storage technologies.

Expert projections indicate a potential annual revenue of $2 billion (€1.8 billion) from shrimp farming in Ghana, which in 2015 had excited the country’s President John Dramani Mahama, who foresees it overtaking incomes from oil and gas if successful.

Thank you, shrimp. Wait, what is a flow battery?

Shrimp (May) Be The Key to Energy Storage That Flows

We’ll get to that flow battery thing in a minute. First let’s clarify the news about shrimp shells and energy storage, which has been zooming all over the Intertubes in recent days.

The news involves research published in April at ACS Sustainable Chemical Engineering under the title, “Exploration of Biomass-Derived Activated Carbons for Use in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.”

The research team did not exactly determine that shrimp shells are the best bio-based material for flow batteries. What they did was compare shrimp shells to pine wood, in order to develop a method for determining the performance of a wide variety of bio-based materials and develop a general set of design principles.

Got all that? Good! Shrimp could still come out on top, but shrimp shells are just one of many bio-based sources that could be used to produce the activated carbon used in flow batteries.

The bio-based approach is relatively new, so before anybody skips to the front of the line, there needs to be “a systematic approach to advancing biomass-based functional materials for use in energy applications,” as the research team explains.

If you know your atoms, you know what the team means when they conclude that “electrochemically accessible surface area, rather than the heteroatom composition” is a more effective representative of the material’s performance.

Spoiler alert: surface area is a big deal in energy storage performance.

Why Shrimp Shells & Energy Storage Go Together Like Rice & Beans

The big question is why shrimp shells for energy storage, and the answer is chitin. Pronounced KY-tin, chitin is found in the exoskeletons, beaks, scales, and other hard parts of insects and aquatic creatures, as well as the cell walls of fungi, with shrimp and crab being the most common sources.

Chitin is already commonly used for edible film and other food products. It also pops up in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.

As a large-scale byproduct of the food processing industry, chitin is cheap, abundant, and available practically all over the world. In other words, perfect for a world in search of low cost, sustainable energy storage.

Chitin has been a wallflower in the clean tech field, but it lately it has been emerging as a sustainable alternative to petrochemicals, and there have been hints that it could be used to make solar cells.

About That Flow Battery…

So, flow batteries. For those of you new to the topic, flow technology has been around for a while, but it has gained new significance in the age of decarbonization because it can provide for large scale, long duration energy storage at a relatively low cost.

Lithium-ion batteries are still the gold standard for energy storage, but they only last for a few hours. In order to integrate more wind and solar into the grid, you need energy storage technology that costs less and is more flexible and resilient, and is capable of handling grid-scale operations.

Flow batteries fit the bill. The basic idea is that two specialized liquids can generate an electrical current through a chemical reaction, when they flow adjacent to each other. Typically they are separated by a thin membrane, though researchers have experimented with formulations that do not require one.

Membrane or not, the two liquids can be stored indefinitely in their own tanks, of practically any size. Aside from providing for large-scale storage, the setup does not lose capacity over extended down time, as is the case with conventional batteries.

The US Department of Energy is all over flow batteries as a sustainable replacement for centralized, fossil fuel power plants. The technology is part of the agency’s broader push for large scale, long duration energy storage.

Energy Storage, Now With Vanadium (Not Vibranium)

As you may surmise, flow batteries involve two key challenges. One is how to ramp up the efficiency of the chemical reaction between the two liquids, while keeping costs down. That’s where the new chitin research comes in (for those of you keeping score at home, the research team includes scientists from both MIT and Tufts).

The other challenge is to formulate the optimal liquids for enhancing the reaction. The chitin research team settled on the all-vanadium redox flow battery formulation.

That’s vanadium, not vibranium. Both are metals, but only one actually exists outside of the Marvel Universe.

Our friends over at the Energy Department are quite interested in the all-vanadium formulation. Back in 2012, the agency discussed the pros and cons.

“There are many kinds of [Redox Flow Battery] chemistries, including iron/chromium, zinc/bromide, and vanadium,” the Energy Department explained. “Unlike other RFBs, vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) use only one element (vanadium) in both tanks, exploiting vanadium’s ability to exist in several states.”

The one-element solution enables VRBs to avoid cross-contamination issues, which is a significant problem for other chemistries.

That doesn’t mean it’s all smooth sailing for VRBs, though.

“Sulfuric acid solutions, the electrolyte used in current VRBs, can only hold a certain number of vanadium ions before they become oversaturated, and they only allow the battery to work effectively in a small temperature window,” said the Energy Department.

“The low energy densities and small operating temperature window, along with high capital cost, make it difficult for the current VRBs to meet the performance and economic requirements for broad market penetration,” the Energy Department summed it up.

That didn’t stop New York City from dabbling in the technology back in 2014, in a project featuring vanadium technology developed by the company CellCube.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been among those on the prowl for improvements to the technology, and the lab has come up with new energy storage chemistries that help keep costs down while addressing the energy density and temperature issues.

Last year the Energy Department surveyed emerging grid-scale energy storage options and noted that redox flow batteries “appear to be well positioned” due to the rapid pace of improvement in the technology.

As one indicator of stepped-up activity in the vanadium flow battery field, earlier this year the US company Avalon joined with redT Energy of the UK to form Invinity Energy Systems, which bills itself as “the world’s leading vanadium flow battery company.”

Tesla Ambulance with Victron Energy

June 14, 2020

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Introducing Tesla Ambulance. powered by Victron Energy .Typically an ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals.^[1] Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient.

Have you ever wondered what you would do if your electric vehicle ran out of fuel – in the middle of nowhere? calls for Tesla Ambulance

Well, we’ve got an interesting video for you.

Lucian Popescu has driven his Tesla Model S into the mountains of Romania leaving himself insufficient power to get home again. A distributor comes to his rescue with an experimental re-charge.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Just before we begin you might be interested in a quick roundup of the setup for Tesla Ambulance we’re about to see:

3 x Quattro Inverter 10kVA are configured to recharge the vehicle with 3 Phase power. It’s not always possible to charge an electric vehicle remotely because they require a Neutral Ground which is not available on many generators or alternative power supplies – but which the Quattro inverters can be switched to provide. This arrangement provides 11kWh – the standard ‘maximum’ charge acceptance rate for the Tesla AC inlet – but wait, we’re in for a surprise.
4 x 25.6V Lithium Batteries which between them store 20kWh.
A VE Bus BMS protects the battery during charge/discharge cycles
A Cerbo GX ties everything together; and we get a look at the neat GX Touch 50 display in action.

The video saves the best for the end with a sneak preview of an early prototype of the Victron Car Charger – the EV Charging Station. Capable of providing 22kWh – electric car charging just came home. At this rate an hour of charge will provide up to 90 miles (145 km) of range; and a typical electric vehicle battery can be taken from empty to full in around 5 hours.

In other news,Emergency service giant Falck, a Denmark-based first responder and ambulance operator, wanted to test if they could make a zero-emission emergency service vehicle. To do this they turned a roomy, fast, and long-range Tesla Model X into an ambulance.

The company operates in over 35 countries worldwide. It provides ambulance services in close cooperation with the national authorities. Falck is today the world’s largest international ambulance operator with more than 5000 vehicles around the globe, but very few are powered by electricity. It makes complete sense that they would try to implement the electric vehicle era in the fleet.

Renewable Energy :Ghana’s first bilateral solar PPA

May 24, 2020

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Ghana’s Plastic manufacturer Miniplast will buy electricity from a 704 kW grid-connected solar array owned and operated by Norwegian renewable energy developer Empower New Energy AS.

Norway-based Empower New Energy has secured one of Africa’s first power purchase agreements (PPAs) for the supply of solar electricity.

Empower, which has a focus on renewable energy project deployment in sub-Saharan Africa, said Ghanaian plastic manufacturer Miniplast Limited has agreed to buy electricity from a 704 kW rooftop solar array to be installed on its manufacturing and recycling facility in Accra, in the Ghanaian capital.

“The plant will be installed and operated by Stella Futura Ltd under a power sales agreement signed between the three partners,” Empower New Energy said. “The investment will be made through a local project company majority owned by Empower Invest, the impact investment fund managed by Empower New Energy.” Stella Futura will act as EPC contractor for the project.

Terms

The financial terms of the PPA were not revealed.

The rooftop installation is slated to become operational in July.

A bilateral solar PPA in Africa was signed in January 2019 between Egyptian solar company SolarizEgypt and the Arabian Cement Company.

to be set up on factory rooftops of Miniplast in Spintex Industrial Area of Accra city, the 704 kW system is planned to be grid connected by July 2020. It will help the manufacturer reduce its consumption of diesel to power its factories while bringing down its electricity costs.

“We’re excited to install one of the largest industrial and commercial solar PV systems in Ghana,” said Nadim Ghanem-Pares, Deputy Managing Director of Miniplast Limited. “Furthermore, this will be a flagship project to promote the use of renewable energy within the Spintex Industrial enclave of Accra.” Empower Invest’s Empower New Energy (EmNEW) is funded by Norway’s development fund for emerging markets Norfund, and European Union’s first electrification financing initiative, Electrify, among others.

Ghana is increasing efforts to raise the share of renewables in its electricity mix. Under its energy strategy, the nation wants 2.5 GW of renewable energy generation capacity – probably including hydroelectric – by 2030. Ghana had just 64 MW of solar capacity at the end of 2018, according to International Renewable Energy Agency statistics.

Credit

This article was originally written by Emiliano Bellini.He joined pv magazine in March 2017. He has been reporting on solar and renewable energy since 2009.

Victron Energy & Fronius : Solar-powered Farm in Mali

April 3, 2020

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A solar-powered farm in Mali, West Africa, is stretching the boundaries of what’s possible. In a landlocked country well-known for producing Cotton, Rice Millet and Corn, the Complex Agro Industrial de Baragnouma produce fish – at a rate of 5 tons a day.All powered by Victron Energy and Fronius…

In order to maintain conditions in which the fish can thrive water has to be continually filtered and oxygenated. Water treatment takes a lot of power – at the Baragnouma complex that power is provided by solar energy from Fronius and victron.

It seems fatuous to say that the reliability of their remote power plant is paramount …but if the power were to fail for just 30 minutes, the fish would die.

It was decided at the outset, in 2014, that the farm would incorporate solar energy power provision to the greatest possible extent – though few could have foreseen the scale of its success. Ninety-eight per cent of the power requirement is met by solar energy, back-up generators providing the other two percent.

victron Energy & fronius: solar -powered agriclture in Mali

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0032.JPG

In fact there are seven off grid solar-powered electrical installations at the Complex Agro Industrial de Baragnouma which provide inexpensive sustainable energy not only for their pisciculture but also for: Chicken, Dairy, Fruit and Vegetables; a factory which produces animal feed; workers houses; and two small offices.

Fortunately sunshine is very dependable in Djoliba which is 40km from Mali’s capital, Bamako. Their investment over 6 years has exceeded a million dollars – yet these investments are lower than the cost of the diesel which would otherwise have been used. And the solar installations save more than 400 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

The carefully orchestrated infrastructure includes a Fish nursery for 20,000 Alvins per cycle of production, which are reared in 8 ponds. There are a further 14 ponds each of 1000m² for the specie Clariidae. Thirteen much larger ponds provide the habitat for rearing Tilapia. There is a recycled water requirement of 14,570 cubic metres per day with pumps working at up to 180 cubic metres per day; and top-up pumped from boreholes.

The seven Off-Grid Systems have a total capacity of 520kW. Generating a similar amount of energy using diesel would cost around $260,000 a year …add to that the cost of maintenance, transport for fuel, and depreciation of the generators and it’s easy to see how the cost savings, and power security make the solar option so desirable. And the farm operates silently – which is a bonus for the 100 or so employees who are all fully engaged with the project.

The installation was carried out by Sonikara Solar Electro – overseen by company CEO and Founder Mouctar Doucoure. Working with the support of Victron staff, it is a ringing endorsement of the technological ability of Sonikara that they have been awarded the maintenance contract to oversee this huge installation for the next five years – monitoring and maintaining the system so that it runs without missing a beat.

Anco van Bergeijk (support engineer for Victron in Africa) Mouctar Doucoure (CEO and founder of Sonikara Solar)

The Biggest standalone Victron/Fronius installation provides 3-phase power to the fish and chicken food factory – which can be seen in the video below. It employs:

12 X 15kVA Quattro Inverter/Chargers
6 x Fronius 27kW Eco
120 x 2V/3000Ah OpzS batteries
Color Control GX
300kVA genset

In 2018 a dairy was added, together with a food processing factory. Last year saw the construction of some impressive looking greenhouses for vegetable production. As each success is chalked up so more new ideas are tried the owner has ever greater plans for the future of this diverse farming model.

The latest installation powers the greenhouses, and provides water treatment and pumping, together with a heat regulation system. It employs:

3 x 15kVA Quattro Inverter/Chargers
1 x Fronius 27kW Eco
2 x MPPT SmartSolar 250/70
6 x BYD B-Box 10kW

Other installations in this large farm complex provide:

- 5kVA for the Egg incubators (poultry)
- 10kVA for the Poultry farm
- 60kVA for the Fish nursery and lab
- 10kVA for the Offices and Conference suite
- 10kVA Further offices
- 3kVA for Employees houses
- 3kVA for the Cattle farm

Victron products have a broad range of compatibility with third-party manufactured equipment. Fronius inverters and BYD’s Iron Phosphate chemistry batteries – chosen here for their scalability, and their ability to operate in temperatures of up to 55°C – all work seamlessly with Victron Solar Charge controllers, Inverters, and with our data-comms controller the Color Control GX (CCGX).

Using Victron’s Remote Management platform (VRM), the CCGX provides at-a-glance remote monitoring and management so that the Sonikara team can perform interventions whenever required, from their own offices.

Victron provides training and support in West Africa (and indeed all over the world) to ensure that the skills are available for projects of this scale to be built, and offers continued training to equip solar engineers with the necessary expertise.

The positive social and economic advantages are substantial and far-reaching. The farm provides fresh fish, chicken, milk and vegetables to the national and local market of Mali, Bamako. In addition to the farm’s 100 employees, it provides work for local traders, and trickle-down benefits for other commercial operators.

Mouctar Doucoure said: The challenges of an off-grid electrical project of this size is to constantly adapt to growth, and to educate all involved. We accomplished this by creating local expertise and by expanding the systems step-by-step. The quality of wiring installations, batteries, and the system design was tested after each phase. Also; all the systems can be constantly monitored online.

Let’s take a look at the site through this informative video. It’s interesting to hear a word or two about how the video was made. Seizing the opportunity to provide experience for some Video School graduates in Mali, it was decided to commission them to film and produce the promotional video below.

Much was learned and the result by Israel Oron and his colleagues – former students from Conservatoire des arts of Bamako – is excellent:

The ‘win-win’ success of this project which creates useful employment; increases education; produces healthy food in a noise and pollution-free environment; as well as reducing costs and reduces carbon emissions – is that it becomes a beacon showing the way ahead …demonstrating how technology can be harnessed for the future benefit of local communities.

All images: Photos/Film: B-Twien Clicks | Film & Photo or Ewien van Bergeijk – Kwant.

Panasonic reaches 16.09% efficiency with perovskite solar module

February 9, 2020

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Panasonic has achieved the world’s highest energy conversion efficiency of 16.09% for a perovskite solar module (aperture area 802 cm²: 30-cm x 30-cm x 2-mm thick) by developing lightweight technology using a glass substrate and a large-area coating method based on inkjet printing. This was carried out as part of the project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which is working on the “Development of Technologies to Reduce Power Generation Costs for High-Performance and High-Reliability Photovoltaic Power Generation” to promote the widespread adoption of solar power generation.

This inkjet-based coating method that can cover a large area reduces manufacturing costs of modules. In addition, this large-area, lightweight, and high-conversion efficiency module allows for generating solar power highly efficiently at locations where conventional solar panels were difficult to install, such as façades.

Going forward, NEDO and Panasonic continue to improve perovskite layer materials, aiming to achieve high efficiency comparable to that of crystalline silicon solar cells and establish technologies for practical application in new markets.

By focusing on the inkjet coating method that enables the raw material to be coated precisely and uniformly, Panasonic applied that technology to each layer of the solar cell including perovskite layer on glass substrate and realized high power conversion efficiency for a large-area module.

About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, has expanded globally and now operates 582 subsidiaries and 87 associated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 8.003 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2019. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for its customers. To learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global.

About NEDO:
NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) plays an important role in Japan’s economic and industrialization policies through its funding of technology development activities. NEDO also acts as an innovation accelerator to realize its two basic missions of addressing energy and global environmental problems and enhancing industrial technology.
To learn more about NEDO: https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/introducing_index.html

Source: https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2020/02/en200207-2/en200207-2.html

Related Links
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/

Panasonic R&D Overview
https://www.panasonic.com/global/corporate/technology-design/r-and-d.html

Cerbo GX & GX Touch 50:A turbo charged GX device

February 9, 2020

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The new Cerbo GX, along with the optional GX Touch 50 display, were announced and demonstrated at METS, November 2019. GX products are Victron Energy state-of-the-art monitoring solution. The family consists of the different GX products, and their accessories.

The GX-device lies at the heart of the system – providing monitoring, and operating as the communication-centre of your installation. All the other system-components – such as inverter/chargers, solar chargers, and batteries – are connected to it. Monitoring can be carried out locally and remotely – via our free-to-use Victron Remote Management portal (VRM). The GX-device also provides Remote firmware updates and allows inverter/charger settings to be changed remotely.

Personally I’m a great fan of GX devices, the Color Control GX, Venus GX and more – all being a part of the Victron GX product range.

Detailed introductory blogpost by Panbo

However, my 6 years personal experience is with the Color Control GX model – so I’d be doing you the reader a disservice by reviewing the Cerbo GX. Also, as I blog for Victron, I admit to a natural and faithful bias. It seems only right and proper then to let an independent reviewer give you their take on this exciting new product. What I can say though – is that going by the review on Panbo, the product will be in great demand.

For a detailed introduction, I recommend reading the Panbo blog post by Ben Ellison:

Victron Cerbo GX, good AC/DC power monitoring gets better.

Introductory video

GX Touch 50 display

The GX Touch 50 is the optional display for the Cerbo GX. Its water proof, thin, and easy to mount. There is a cable coming out on the back with two plugs on it: the HDMI goes into the HDMI port on the Cerbo, and the USB (used to power the display) goes into one of the USB sockets. For all details, including dimensions and the manual, see the GX Touch 50 product page.

Optional DIN rail adapter

The optional DIN rail adapters are to easily mount the Cerbo GX on a DIN-Rail. Dimensions and details are available on its page on our website.

Conclusion

When you consider just how far GX devices have come in the last 6 years (just take a look back to 2014), then the Cerbo GX is to my mind the ultimate GX turbo charged device for connectivity.

Learn more at the Cerbo GX product page.

Tesla model 3 cars,now made in China

December 30, 2019

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Tesla model 3 cars,now made in China.Tesla has delivered its first cars made in China, marking a major milestone for the electric vehicle maker.

Fifteen Tesla Model 3 cars were handed over at the company’s so-called “Gigafactory” near Shanghai.

It comes as Elon Musk’s company aims to secure a significant slice of the world’s biggest car market.

Tesla’s move into the country comes as the trade war has forced other American companies to shift production out of China.

During a ceremony at the company’s multi-billion dollar plant in Shanghai, 15 of its employees received cars they had purchased.

The event means deliveries of cars have started a little over a year after construction of the factory got underway.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olUBAIvoLpo

California-based Tesla said that it wanted to start handing over vehicles before the Lunar New Year beginning on 25 January, and now plans to scale up deliveries from the start of 2020.

The Chinese-made Model 3, priced at $50,000 (£38,000) before subsidies, will compete with local electric car makers, including NIO and Xpeng Motors, as well as global brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

US technology giants Apple, Google, HP, and Dell have all reportedly started the process of moving production from China to other Asian countries.

That’s as US tariffs on Chinese-made goods make them more expensive when they are imported into America, or companies have to absorb the cost themselves.

It also comes after intense pressure from US President Donald Trump for American companies to bring back manufacturing to the US. In August Mr Trump issued a demand for all US firms to move production out of China.

However, Tesla doesn’t plan to export the cars it makes in China to the US, where they would be hit with tariffs. Instead it wants to sell these Tesla Model 3 cars in China itself.

Previously Tesla was exporting all of the cars it sold in China from the US, which meant they were hit with tariffs in China.

The company isn’t just expanding its manufacturing into China. In November, it revealed plans to build a huge European production facility on the outskirts of Berlin in Germany.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EQcGVJAFx0

About Elon Reeve Musk

born June 28, 1971 ,Elon Musk is an engineer and technology entrepreneur.He holds South African, Canadian, and U.S. citizenship and is the founder, CEO, and chief engineer/designer of SpaceX; CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; co-founder of Neuralink; founder of The Boring Company;and co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2018.In December 2016, he was ranked 21st on the Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People, and was ranked (co-)first on the Forbes list of the Most Innovative Leaders of 2019. He has a net worth of $23.6 billion and is listed by Forbes as the 40th-richest person in the world. He is the longest tenured CEO of any automotive manufacturer globally.

Source: BBC