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Rechargeable zinc batteries: Overcoming challenges and finding opportunities Josef Daniel-Ivad from the Zinc Battery Initiative updates the current scaling of zinc battery manufacturers and technology.

Josef Daniel-Ivad

May 18, 2026

R&D

Researchers make significant advancement into thermal runaway-free sodium-ion batteries The development of a Polymerizable Non-flammable Electrolyte appears to have helped sodium-ion batteries towards a eureka moment for safety.

Apr 10, 2026

R&D

Titanium emerges as a vanadium alternative for redox flow batteries A Japanese-Chinese team developed a titanium molten salt redox-flow battery using abundant titanium ions and molten salt electrolytes to enable high-voltage, fast, and stable grid-scale energy storage. The system demonstrates high efficiency of over 97%, strong cycling stability, and improved cost and scalability compared to vanadium-based batteries, with further optimization underway.

Emiliano Bellini

Apr 08, 2026

R&D

Conductive smart hydrogels as battery electrolytes: Promising for lithium, sodium, and zinc-ion chemistries Hydrogels offer promise in batteries as an electrolyte, including lithium and sodium chemistries, due to being inherently more safe.

Apr 02, 2026

R&D

Chinese team reports hydrofluorocarbon electrolyte for 700 Wh/kg lithium battery Nature paper shows lithium-metal pouch cells above 700 Wh/kg and operation down to -70 C.

Mar 30, 2026

R&D

Spain completes testing of Europe’s largest research vanadium BESS Spain’s Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Ciuden), a government energy research foundation, has completed operational testing of a 1 MW/8 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) system at its Cubillos del Sil technology center, which it says is the largest vanadium flow battery in Europe dedicated to applied research.

Pilar Sanchez Molina

Mar 24, 2026

R&D

New cost-saving copper welding technique for battery cells revealed by Fraunhofer Resistance projection welding technique could unlock cost-effective copper interconnection potential. Described as a major opportunity for German battery manufacturers, the new approach to copper interconnections will now be used in commercial production.

Mar 20, 2026

pv magazine Global May Edition 2026

New May issue – Now available

Mountains to climb

The May issue of pv magazine Global is out now! Available in print and digital – get your copy today!

pv magazine Focus 2026 announcement box

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1-Day Conference

High-level discussions on solar and energy storage across Europe. Experts explore how to plan and execute bankable BESS projects, what quality and warranty factors matter, and how energy management systems optimize residential and C&I applications, including heat pumps, EV charging, and new market opportunities.

1:00 – 5:00 pm, CEST | June 24, 2026

The smarter E Europe, ICM Conference Center | Munich, Germany

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pv magazine Awards 2026

pv magazine Awards 2026

Window is open now!

Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.

April 01 – August 31, 2026

SunRise Arabia Update Announcement Box

SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference 2026

Saudi Arabia is accelerating its clean energy transition. Join the third SunRise Arabia Clean Energy Conference in 2026 to explore how solar PV and energy storage are powering the Kingdom’s growing digital economy, including data centers. Policymakers, investors, and innovators will share insights on technology, deployment strategies, and long-term value creation in Saudi Arabia’s evolving energy landscape.

9:00 am – 6:00 pm, AST | September 30, 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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All R&D news

R&D

Inaccurate battery state of health measurements impact revenue, safety, operations A paper from renewable energy technology company 3E lays out strategies to manage battery degradation, and states inaccurate battery energy storage system (BESS) state of health (SoH) measurements can negatively impact safety, impede asset evaluation, and result in financial losses.

Mar 24, 2025

Flow batteries

Sweden’s Cellfion developing PFAS-free membranes for energy storage The startup is exploring membranes free from the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) known as ‘forever chemicals’ and its wood-derived, cellulose-based products could be used for long-duration energy storage (LDES).

Blathnaid O’Dea

Mar 21, 2025

Technologies

Combining liquid-based direct air capture with compressed air energy storage Scientists in China have simulated a system that combines liquid-based direct air capture with diabatic compressed air energy storage, for the benefit of both processes. Exploring its economic feasibility, they found the system could achieve a levelized cost of energy of $0.53/kWh and a levelized cost of CO2 captured from air of $259/tCO2.

Mar 13, 2025

R&D

China unveils nuclear-powered battery with millennium-long lifespan Beita Pharmatech and Northwest Normal University have develop a carbon-14 nuclear battery encased in silicon carbide, offering unprecedented longevity and application potential.

Mar 13, 2025

R&D

Energy storage system powered by forest waste retains 60% capacity after 10,000 cycles Researchers in Spain used electrodes derived from wood biomass discarded by sawmills as waste to create a hybrid system combining batteries and supercapacitors.

Blathnaid O’Dea

Mar 06, 2025

Technologies

Recycling lithium-ion batteries using cooking oil, water, and ultrasound Researchers at the UK’s University of Leicester have developed a method of extracting valuable metals from a waste product of used batteries with a mixture of water and vegetable oil.

Blathnaid O’Dea

Mar 05, 2025

Grid-scale

Quidnet Energy tests MWh-scale geomechanical energy storage Quidnet Energy has demonstrated its long-duration geomechanical energy storage (GES) at the megawatt-hour scale. The tech stores excess grid electricity by pressurizing water underground, later releasing it to supply reliable power.

Mar 04, 2025

R&D

New method to restore lithium-ion battery ageing With the help of artificial intelligence, Fudan University researchers have developed a new lithium carrier molecule, CF3SO2Li, significantly extending the life of lithium-ion batteries and restoring their electrochemical performance.

Feb 25, 2025

Technologies

Sodium-ion vs. lithium-iron-phosphate batteries Researchers in Germany have compared the electrical behaviour of sodium-ion batteries with that of lithium-iron-phosphate batteries under varying temperatures and state-of-charges. Their work shows how state-of-charge during cycling significantly affects the efficiency of sodium-ion devices.

Emiliano Bellini, Tristan Rayner

Feb 17, 2025

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