The latest renewable energy news includes announcements on Li-S Energy, Star Catcher, Hoymiles, and others.
Li-S Energy Delivers Lithium-Sulfur Cells to US Army for First Government Testing
Australia-based Li-S Energy has delivered its first lithium-sulfur battery cells to the U.S. Army DEVCOM C5ISR Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground for independent evaluation. It is the company’s first battery delivery to a U.S. government agency and could create a pathway toward future Army procurement. Li-S Energy is targeting drones and unmanned systems where battery weight, flight duration and payload capability are critical. The company says its lithium-sulfur chemistry can allow platforms to fly farther, operate longer and carry greater payloads than systems using conventional lithium-ion batteries. Its customer and development pipeline already includes Praetorian Aeronautics, MSubs, Kea Aerospace and a major international defense contractor. Successful testing could advance commercialization of lithium-sulfur technology beyond conventional lithium-ion applications.
Star Catcher Signs 10th Customer for Planned Orbital Power Grid
Star Catcher Industries has signed a power purchase agreement with space-computing company Aethero, making Aethero the 10th major commercial customer for Star Catcher’s planned orbital power network. Aethero develops space-rated high-performance computing infrastructure and intends to draw on-demand electricity from the Star Catcher Network rather than designing spacecraft entirely around peak power requirements. Conventional satellites require large solar arrays and battery systems sized for maximum loads, adding mass, cost and collision exposure. Star Catcher’s approach is designed to provide higher concentrations of external power, allowing spacecraft mass to be redirected toward computing hardware. Aethero plans to use the infrastructure for space data centers and content-distribution networks, with applications spanning AI processing, Earth observation, defense and telecommunications routing.
Hoymiles Launches 100 A Whole-Home Backup Technology for HiOne Battery Systems
Hoymiles has launched the HiSwitch and HiBox gateway for its HiOne all-in-one residential battery energy storage platform, targeting simpler and more expandable whole-home backup. HiSwitch combines five functions — transfer switch, circuit breaker, meter, bypass switch and current transformer — within a compact DIN-rail device. It supports a maximum bypass current of 100 A, is rated for 6,000 high-current switching cycles and carries a 6 kA short-circuit current rating. Hoymiles says its modular design can reduce replacement time by as much as 80 percent. HiBox provides centralized backup control and allows customers to add a second inverter as energy requirements increase. It can also integrate compatible third-party generators and photovoltaic inverters, extending the role of residential BESS beyond simple outage protection.
