Transmission & Energy Storage Equipment
Major Energy Storage Consolidation: C&D Technologies Acquires Trojan Battery
When two battery companies with almost 100-year histories combine, the result is one huge battery player, ready to meet the growing demand for energy storage solutions. That’s the idea at least behind Trojan Battery Company’s announcement last week that it is being acquired by C&D Technologies.
California-based Trojan was founded in 1925 by the Godber family, which owns a minority stake in the business today. The majority of the business is held by an affiliate of Charlesbank Capital Partners. After the acquisition is complete, in about 60 days, the entire company will be owned by C&D Technologies, which itself is a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners.
Pennsylvania-based C&D was founded in 1906 and makes batteries for the utility, telecom, UPS, cable, broadband and renewable energy markets. It has four manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico and China.
Trojan Battery makes lead-acid batteries for motive and stationary applications, including aerial work platform/MEWP, airport ground support equipment, floor cleaning machines, golf and utility vehicles, marine/RV, material handling, oil/gas and renewable energy industries and also has four manufacturing facilities in Calif. and Georgia plus two advanced R&D centers in Georgia and Ireland. The company has just released its first lithium-ion battery.
This acquisition will create one of the largest energy storage providers with over $1.0 billion of revenue, eight manufacturing facilities and a presence in every major region, according to the companies.
“Trojan Battery is an industry leader with a great heritage and an amazing team of employees,” said Neil Thomas, president and CEO of Trojan Battery. “The synergies between Trojan and C&D will create a global leader in energy storage solutions with two iconic brands, quality products and the ability to supply advanced battery technologies to customers around the world.”
Transmission & Energy Storage Equipment
LONGi publishes annual report for 2022 and 2023 Q1
Xi’an, China | Frankfurt, Germany: May 24, 2023 – LONGi Green Energy Technology, a global leading renewable energy company, released its annual report for 2022 and 2023 Q1. According to the financial report, the company achieved a revenue of 128.998 billion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 60.03%. This is the first time that LONGi’s yearly revenue stands above the 100 bn yuan level.
For the first quarter of 2023, LONGi’s revenue reached 28.319 billion yuan (USD 4.24 bn), up 52.35% from last year. In the report, LONGi announced that its 2023 revenue is expected to surpass 160 bln yuan.
LONGi’s 2022 net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 14.812 billion yuan (USD 2.21 bn), a y-o-y increase of 63.02%. Its net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company after deducting non-recurring gains and losses was 14.414 billion yuan (USD 2.15 bn), a y-o-y increase of 63.31%.
The report shows that in 2022 LONGi has produced a total of 85.06GW of monocrystalline silicon wafers, including 42.52GW for external sales and 42.54GW for internal use, steadily ranking 1st in global shipments of monocrystalline silicon wafers for 9 consecutive years. In 2022, LONGi produced 46.76GW of monocrystalline silicon modules, including 46.08GW for external sales and 0.68GW for internal use, steadily ranking 1st in global shipments of modules and market share for 3 consecutive years.
During the reporting period, LONGi’s net cash flow from operating activities was 24.37 billion yuan (USD 3.64 bn), an increase of 97.77% y-o-y. The company’s monetary funds was 54.372 billion yuan (USD 8.12 bn), accounting for 38.96% of total assets, with a y-o-y increase of 86.38%.
From 2020 to 2022, LONGi’s asset-liability ratio was 59.38%, 51.31% and 55.39% respectively. The company adheres to a prudent business philosophy and maintains a reasonable asset liability ratio. And the company’s weighted average net return on assets is 27.23%, 21.45% and 26.95% respectively.
Since its IPO in 2012 to September 2022, LONGi has invested over 18 billion yuan (USD 2.69 bn) in R&D. By the end of 2022, the company has obtained 2,132 patents. LONGi now has a team of 4,036 employees for R&D and technological innovation, accounting for 6.66% of its entire global staff.
During the reporting period, LONGi has set a new world record of p-type HJT silicon solar cell efficiency at 26.81%, certified by the German Institut für Solarenergieforschung (ISFH; Institute for Solar Energy Research) in Hameln. The maximum mass production efficiency of its module product Hi-MO 6 exceeds 23.2%. LONGi has made continuous breakthroughs in the industrialization of new high-efficiency solar cells, the R&D of original module technologies, and the transformation of industrial achievements.
By the end of 2022, LONGi’s production capacity for monocrystalline silicon wafers, cells, and modules have respectively reached 133GW, 50GW, and 85GW.
The report also shows that LONGi has accelerated digital transformation and smart manufacturing development. With the transformation and upgrade of its manufacturing units and production lines, the company has reduced costs and improved efficiency.
The company has also announced its goals for 2023, with the company’s production capacity for monocrystalline silicon wafers expected to expand to 190GW, monocrystalline silicon cells expected to expand to 110GW, and monocrystalline silicon modules expected to expand to 130GW.
For product shipments, LONGi is expected to achieve 130GW of monocrystalline silicon wafers (internal use included) and 85GW of monocrystalline silicon modules (internal use included).
LONGi said the company had achieved sustained and stable growth by ensuring product delivery, and the company had proactively undertaken the pressure of higher costs of raw materials. With the expansion of production capacity and the increased output of silicon materials, silicon materials prices of the industrial chain have returned to normal levels. The company is expected to achieve good performance in 2023.
In Europe, LONGi generated a turnover of 21.34 bn yuan (USD 3.19 bn) in 2022, an increase by 87.68 percent compared to the previous year. Nick Wang, Vice President of LONGi Europe Distributed Generation (DG) said: “Europe is our top priority market globally. The continent is facing unprecedented growth in the solar industry and seeing an increase in demand for high-efficiency and high-quality solar modules as a result. We are preparing for this next stage of solar growth in a sustainable, healthy way, while further enhancing our customers’ focus and services and putting them at the center of our work. As part of this, LONGi will establish a new service and operation center in the EU in 2023 to provide the speed and support our partners need.”
For international markets, LONGi said the company has increased investment and accelerated the construction and upgrade of high-efficiency production lines in China to satisfy the increasingly diversified needs of the clients. The company has also optimized its investment internationally, including increasing investment in its production base in Kuching in Malaysia and completing the upgrade of its production base in Vietnam. The company is working to improve its production and operation capabilities internationally to satisfy the growing market demand outside of China.
About LONGi and LONGi Solar
LONGi Solar is one of the world’s largest solar technology companies, ranking first in global module shipments since 2020. It is a subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology (LONGi), which was founded in 2000. LONGi has more than 60,000 employees, 30+ locations and 30 manufacturing sites globally. LONGi Europe is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The company has established five business sectors, covering mono silicon, wafers, cells and modules, commercial and industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment to support the development of zero-carbon energy globally. Since 2021, LONGi has broken the photovoltaic (PV) cell conversion efficiency record 14 times in a row. In 2022, LONGi set a new world record of 26.81% for the efficiency of a p-type HJT silicon solar cell. The results were confirmed by the German Institut für Solarenergieforschung (Institute for Solar Energy Research or ISFH) in Hamelin, Germany. LONGi is the first Chinese solar manufacturer to join the three distinguished climate initiatives RE100, EP100 and EV100. Under the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), LONGi has set a 2030 emission reduction target aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent across its operations and productions compared to 2020 levels.
Sector News
Hitachi ABB Power Grids tracks Dublin’s data center surge via grid connections
One gigawatt substation will support the city’s growing number of data centers to enable the new norm of remote working through efficient connections to electrical infrastructure
Hitachi ABB Power Grids has delivered a fully integrated, high-voltage substation close to Dublin’s digital business hub at Castlebagot, fast-tracking the standard two and a half year execution time to just 18 months, to keep the city’s growing number of large, increasingly important data centers running smoothly 24/7.
The project was commissioned by Ireland’s state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB) to meet Dublin’s recent, unprecedented upsurge in demand for electricity, due to the proliferation of new data centers. The project is the largest privately contracted substation development in Ireland to date. To ensure reliable supply to this booming industry, Hitachi ABB Power Grids has delivered a 220 kilovolt (kV)/110 kV substation with gas-insulated switchgear, including the protection and control SCADA system enabling an advanced power system management and monitoring of equipment status while in service. The gas insulated switchgear is a compact technology designed to minimize the substation’s foot-print, enabling space saving of up to 70 percent compared to air-insulated switchgear.
Dublin hosts some of the most important high-tech firms in Europe, in addition to a wide range of thriving tech start-up and colocation services. Planners are currently processing applications for additional, major data centers that will more than double the city’s electricity consumption in the years ahead. With its state-of-the art efficient grid solutions, Hitachi ABB Power Grids is helping to optimize power consumption while maintaining quality of supply.
“We specialize in the prompt delivery of reliable, high-voltage grid connections that respond to the ever growing use of advanced solutions continuing to support people through the challenging times of the current global pandemic.Efficient connections to electrical infrastructure are more critical than ever,” says Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Grid Integration business unit at Hitachi ABB Power Grids. “We are proud to enable the transition to the new norm of connecting people, when disruption to working patterns has increased the demand for remote and digital services, by meeting the need for a stable power supply.”
The energization of the Castlebagot substation in such a short time is even more remarkable given the current demanding situation. Hitachi ABB Power Grids and ESB were able to overcome this challenge due to their digital capabilities which made it possible to energize the substation safely and sustainably, while ensuring business continuity.
Substations are the building blocks for any power grid and facilitate the effective integration of power from conventional and renewable generation sources, to efficiently transmit and distribute it to consumption centers.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids is fast becoming the leading supplier of grid and power quality solutions for data center grid connections for both utilities and data center owners worldwide and is helping cities around the world to meet the extensive power demands of large data center projects. For this project, early collaboration with ESB ensured a design that fulfilled the utility’s availability and reliability requirements. It enabled fast project execution, leveraging our vast knowledge of utility grid codes and connection practices in different countries.
Transmission & Energy Storage Equipment
GoodWe, the only Inverter Manufacturer to win the TÜV Rheinland “All Quality Matters” Award 5 years in a row!
We are pleased to inform our friends and partners that GoodWe has been honored this week with the TÜV Rheinland’s 2020 “All Quality Matters” award in recognition for the outstanding quality of its EH Series storage inverter and its MT Series C&I inverter. This is the fifth consecutive year that GoodWe has won this prestigious award, which shows just how consistent the company has been in delivering high-quality products. The award ceremony took place on 30 June in the city of Suzhou and was attended by the company’s founder, Mr. Huang Min.
The evaluation process that preceded the decision for this award was very comprehensive and for this edition, Rheinland started testing one year in advance, only concluding its final report in June 2020. Renowned for its objectiveness and impartiality, the TÜV Rheinland’s “All Quality Matters” award has become an important reference point on a global scale and being a recipient of this influential award is always an honor.
EH Series – Storage Inverter
In 2019 GoodWe was ranked “World’s Number 1 Storage Inverter Supplier” by Wood Mackenzie and there was indeed much speculation about which storage product would receive the glamorous TÜV award this year. It was later confirmed that the EH Series had received the highest score due its versatility, safety and efficiency and overall ease of installation. GoodWe’s EH Series is a high-quality storage inverter with battery-ready function and, as part of this evaluation, it was tested against competitors’ products on the categories of efficiency, output and input capability, power quality and thermal stability. GoodWe is coming first on the below parameters thus becoming this year’s undisputed champion:
1. Efficiency: This inverter can achieve a Max MPPT efficiency of 99.9% and comes with two MPPTs, which makes it a leader among single-phase storage inverters.
2. Max. Input Power: EH Series is the first single-phase storage inverter in the market compatible with bifacial double-glass modules, which allows 12.5A input current per string. It also allows 35% DC oversizing to fully maximize capacity.
3. Max. Output Power: The EH Series proved to be able to improve AC output capability, generating more power thanks to its ability to support 1.1 times rated power output for extended periods.
Apart from its strong performance, EH Series offers customers the possibility to upgrade to a full energy storage solution by simply purchasing an activation code. Moreover, the fact that it takes less than 10 seconds to switch from grid to PV helps users avoid expensive intakes from the grid. It comes with an automatic UPS function and one of its most remarkable features is that even when it is on back-up mode it can still supply power to large loads. Last but not least, the communication cables come pre-wired, reducing installation time significantly. The Plug & Play AC connector also makes operation and maintenance a lot more convenient.
The three key features of the EH Series that stood out were its 30% oversizing ratio on the DC side, its outstanding and unique UPS function and its compatibility with several brands of high-voltage battery brands, including BYD.
MT Series – C&I Inverter
GoodWe has come a long way in the C&I segment, expanding its portfolio to include products up to 136kW and up to 12 MPPTs. In this year’s TÜV Rheinland award the MT Series (50-80kW) topped the list with its high efficiency, 50% DC input oversizing capability and 15% AC output overloading. The MT Series inverter comes with four MPPTs and is also capable of operating at 50 degrees Celsius. In addition, it offers optional PLC communication.
At the ceremony award, Mr. Huang Min mentioned that year after year, despite the challenges, GoodWe has consistently delivered high-quality inverters ranging from residential, storage, C&I and utility. Consistency and versatility have been GoodWe’s most important assets and its main contributions to the ongoing energy transformation. GoodWe would like to express its appreciation to its customers and partners for their continuous support and for sharing all that valuable feedback that helps us improve our products.
GoodWe is a leading, strategically thinking enterprise which focuses on research and manufacturing of PV inverters and energy storage solutions.
-
Solar Panels6 years ago
Are Tesla solar roof tiles worth it?
-
Genel6 years ago
Maldives luxury resort is powered entirely by solar panels
-
Control Systems Et Software6 years ago
HOMER responds to the rapidly growing solar+storage market with Grid software
-
Solar Technologies5 years ago
GOODWE PARTNERSHIP WITH GE
-
Solar Technologies4 years ago
Solar panel covered Autobahn can break speed record for Germany’s energy transition
-
Operation and Maintenance6 years ago
1000-Acre Sunflower Solar Farm to be Built for Entergy Mississippi
-
Events5 years ago
GREENoneTEC revolutionizes solar heating with Sunpad
-
Large -Scale Solar Panels6 years ago
ABB to construct solar power expansion in Dubai