CES 2024: Must-see clean tech announcements

CES 2024 took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with it came a slew of new product announcements and unveilings from the tech world.

To save you the trouble of opening marketing emails, we’ve curated a list of noteworthy announcements relevant to the renewable energy sector, including new EV charging solutions, clean energy storage, and electric Caterpillar vehicles. Get scrollin’.

Bosch Technologies shows off automatic valet EV charging, heat pumps, and hydrogen plans

Bosch is a supplier along the entire electromobility value chain – from chips, e-axles, and electric motors to battery technology, charging stations, and numerous other services.

The company showed off several offerings and updates at CES 2024, including:

• Automated valet charging. In a parking garage equipped with an automated valet parking system, electric cars featuring this technology can drive themselves to an available parking space furnished with a charging spot. After receiving input through a smartphone, a robot charges the battery without any further human intervention. Once charging is complete, the vehicle maneuvers to another parking space, leaving the spot free for the next car.
• IDS Ultra Heat Pump. This heat pump was developed specifically for North America, and is meant to provide 100% heating capacity down to outdoor temperatures of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius), and is designed to operate down to as low as minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 25 degrees Celsius.
• Hydrogen investments. Bosch says it sees hydrogen as a key to meeting global energy demand in a resource-efficient way. Bosch is investing in technologies along the hydrogen value chain. The focus is currently on the mobile fuel cell, which recently went into volume production in Stuttgart. This lies at the heart of the powertrain system for heavy vehicles.

Siemens unveils smart home energy management portfolio

Siemens unveiled its smart home energy management portfolio, Inhab, at CES. The suite of Intelligent Habitat solutions is meant to allow users to have full transparency and control over which sources are supplying energy at a given time and how that energy is being distributed throughout the home.

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The portfolio includes features like real-time alerts, 24/7 monitoring, and energy goal setting. As more appliances go electric and homeowners introduce EV charging and solar arrays, monitoring and management solutions are Siemens portfolio is meant to help lower energy consumption and utility bills while increasing safety and capacity.

Caterpillar’s electric machines and onsite power/storage

At CES 2024, Caterpillar is showing off its electric machines and energy solutions, designed to meet the evolving needs of customers who are electrifying their job sites. Its showcase display at the event is its zero-exhaust-emission underground loader, the R1700 XE, used for mining. The vehicle includes what Caterpillar calls the industry’s only onboard battery with fast-charging capabilities and a mini excavator.

In addition to its electric machines, Caterpillar showed off some of its integrated solutions, including:

• On-site power generation — generators capable of running on renewable fuels, solar panels and hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
• Energy storage solutions meant to work with any combination of diesel, natural gas, or renewable energy sources for optimal power.
• Chargers tested and validated to work with equipment on harsh construction and mining sites.
• Inverters that transfer power from a generator or battery to the machine’s electric motor, which in turn delivers optimized power.
• Digital monitoring and advanced analytics meant to make it easier to operate battery-electric machines and infrastructure.

EcoFlow launches DELTA Pro, a hybrid whole-house battery generator

EcoFlow, a portable power and eco-friendly energy solutions company, launched DELTA Pro Ultra, a “smart” hybrid whole-house battery generator and backup system.

EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra is a residential power backup system designed for both extended outages and daily use. With a single-unit capacity of 6kWh, 7200W output, and 5.6kW of solar input, it is designed to run an entire home. Its compatibility with a variety of energy sources, including solar and gas, is intended to cater to a wide range of power needs.

“In the face of increasing energy insecurity due to grid failures and extreme weather, we have developed DELTA Pro Ultra along with Smart Home Panel 2 to address these challenges,” said Brian Essenmacher, EcoFlow’s head of North American business development. “We aim to empower individuals with the freedom to choose the best power solutions in daily use for their households and give them peace of mind during power outages.”

EcoFlow is also launching Smart Home Panel 2, offering a way to fully integrate Delta Pro Ultra with any home for grid-to-backup transition with auto switch-over. It also aims to optimize energy use, reduce costs, and extend backup through intelligent analysis and solar utilization.

Ambient Photonics announces collaboration with Google to develop a new indoor solar-powered device

Ambient Photonics, a provider of low-light, indoor solar cell technology for everyday electronics, announced at CES 2024 that it is partnering with Google on the development of a new consumer product that will feature indoor solar cell technology that “turns any light source into power.”

“Ambient Photonics is tremendously excited to work together with Google on this first-of-its-kind product that takes full advantage of our breakthrough low-light, indoor solar cell technology,” said Bates Marshall, Ambient Photonics’ Co-Founder & CEO. “And I can think of no better time and place to make this announcement than here in Las Vegas on the opening day of CES 2024, the epicenter of breakthrough consumer technologies.”

With Ambient’s bifacial solar cell technology, the company says light power can be harvested from both sides of the cell to produce more energy, boost cell efficiency, and enable more powerful electronics. The front side of an Ambient bifacial solar cell delivers 100% of the power of a typical Ambient cell, while the back side delivers at least 50% of the energy as the front side.

Zendure’s “Plug-and-Play” energy storage systems

Zendure, an energy solutions provider, is showcasing new storage systems and associated tech, following the launch of its SuperBase V system at CES 2023. Zendure’s Plug-and-Play energy storage system, Superbase V is tailored for both on-grid and off-grid settings.

On-grid, it connects with the PVHub 2000, integrating with a microinverter and solar panel. This setup saves up to 12.8 kWh daily, Zendure says, and supports high-power MPPT with a combined capacity of 4800W.

Off-grid, Superbase V can connect to the transfer switch via Zen Y Pro cable, compatible with dual voltage appliances (120V/240V). The system also features smart control and customizable power options from 3600W to 7200W AC, with a capacity of 4.6 to 64 kWh. Qualifying for a 30% tax rebate under the ITC, Zendure says it is ideal for blackout situations, camping, RV trips, and off-grid living.

Zendure’s Smart Home Panel, a component of the Plug & Play Home Storage System, supports up to 10 power circuits. It integrates with the Zendure App for energy management, allowing users to monitor, manage, and customize energy usage.

The PVHub 2000, which the company says is optimized for large-scale photovoltaic systems, is meant to enhance power generation efficiency. It supports solar panels up to 2340W and features fast charging.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com