January 25, 2022

Growatt dévoile le système de batterie AXE LV pour permettre le stockage d’énergie solaire hors réseau

SHENZHEN, Chine, 25 janvier 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Growatt, leader mondial des onduleurs photovoltaïques et des systèmes de stockage d’énergie, ajoute le système de batterie AXE LV à sa gamme de produits énergétiques intelligents, élargissant ainsi la portée du marché pour répondre à la demande croissante de systèmes résidentiels de stockage de batteries au lithium hors réseau.

Growatt unveils AXE LV battery system to empower off-grid solar energy storage

« Le nouveau système de batterie AXE LV couvre une large gamme de capacités allant de 5 kWh à 400 kWh, ce qui répond aux besoins différenciés des ménages quotidiens aux grands scénarios commerciaux et industriels », a déclaré Lisa Zhang, directrice marketing chez Growatt.

La modularité du système de batterie AXE LV facilite l’installation avec des prises internes, ne nécessitant aucune connexion par câble supplémentaire, tandis qu’avec tous les câbles externes intégrés sur une seule prise, sa connexion à l’onduleur est bien plus simplifiée. En bref, cette conception unique réduit considérablement la difficulté et le temps d’installation.

En termes de sécurité, ce système bénéficie de protections multi-niveaux de l’onduleur et du système de gestion de la batterie (BMS), telles que la surveillance de la sécurité des cellules et l’équilibrage. En revanche, en tant que batterie LFP sans cobalt, elle se démarque par sa résistance aux hautes températures, sa sécurité et sa stabilité élevées ainsi que par ses performances allant jusqu’à 5 000 cycles de charge. Il a également une durée de vie plus longue de plus de 10 ans, tandis que les batteries au plomb-acide traditionnelles ne peuvent durer que 2-3 ans. Globalement, il présente plus d’avantages en termes de TCO (coût total de possession) pour les clients.

En ce qui concerne la compatibilité, le système de batterie AXE LV peut être utilisé avec tous les onduleurs SPF hors réseau de Growatt. De plus, il fonctionne parfaitement avec les onduleurs de stockage des séries SPH et SPA.

Growatt offre des services à guichet unique pour garantir une meilleure expérience client. La société fournit un support technique lors de l’installation pour une exécution plus rapide. Pour une utilisation et une maintenance quotidiennes, il fournit une garantie complète du système, y compris le système de batterie et les onduleurs de stockage. Tout problème au niveau du système, s’il se produit, peut être rapidement localisé et résolu plus efficacement. En outre, Growatt permet aux installateurs de mettre à niveau le micrologiciel du système de batterie à distance, ce qui peut aider à réduire les coûts d’exploitation et d’entretien et à améliorer l’efficacité du service.

À propos de Growatt

Fondé en 2010, Growatt est un leader mondial des solutions énergétiques intelligentes. Selon IHS Markit et Wood Mackenzie, la société est le premier fournisseur d’onduleurs résidentiels au monde et se classe également parmi les cinq premiers fournisseurs mondiaux d’onduleurs commerciaux. Selon Wood Mackenzie, Growatt est le deuxième fournisseur mondial d’onduleurs de stockage hybrides.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1731353/Growatt_unveils_AXE_LV_battery_system_to_empower_off_grid_solar_energy_storage.jpg

January 25, 2022

Quectel lance sa solution Connectivity-as-a-Service pour un monde plus intelligent et plus connecté

SHANGHAI, 25 janvier 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Quectel Wireless Solutions, un fournisseur mondial de solutions d’IoT, a lancé sa solution Connectivity-as-a-Service (CaaS) pour fournir des modules connectés qui peuvent être expédiés pour être utilisés partout dans le monde. Cette nouvelle unité vient compléter la gamme Quectel de modules et d’antennes innovants qui prennent en charge les connexions cellulaires ; elle permet aux clients de simplifier leurs déploiements basés sur la périphérie en achetant de la connectivité en même tant que les modules, les antennes et les services de conception. Cette option de connectivité élargit le portefeuille de Quectel et augmente l’exhaustivité de son offre.

La connectivité Quectel sera d’abord lancée auprès des clients de la région EMEA, leur fournissant une connectivité mondiale, avant de s’étendre aux clients des régions Asie-Pacifique Amérique latine plus tard en 2022.

La connectivité Quectel est aujourd’hui disponible dans plus de 190 pays via plus de 500 opérateurs réseau et fournit actuellement des connexions 2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT et Cat-M. La connectivité Quectel est disponible sur l’ensemble du marché et profitera particulièrement aux déploiements qui permettent d’accélérer les délais de mise sur le marché et d’optimiser l’efficacité des entreprises en ayant recours à un fournisseur unique pour les modules, les antennes et la connectivité.

De plus, avec la généralisation des SIM embarquées et intégrées (eSIM et iSIM), il devient d’autant plus pertinent pour Quectel d’offrir des services de connectivité, car l’entreprise sera désormais en mesure de fournir des modules connectés. Cela simplifie encore davantage les déploiements des clients qui, auparavant, auraient eu besoin d’installer une carte SIM traditionnelle issue du marché local. Un module compatible eSIM ou iSIM associé à une connectivité Quectel, une fois mis sous tension, se connectera au meilleur réseau disponible.

« La connectivité Quectel repose sur le service, la qualité et la fiabilité, soutenus par des fournisseurs Tier 1 et de solides accords de niveaux de service (SLA), a déclaré Richard Hart, directeur de la connectivité mondiale à Quectel. Nous prenons en charge toutes les formes de modules SIM traditionnels, mais également les modules connectés qui peuvent être expédiés pour être utilisés partout dans le monde, ce qui signifie que les clients seront en mesure d’explorer des modèles commerciaux novateurs qui englobent les déploiements combinés de modules, de connectivité et d’antennes. Nous mettons un point d’honneur à offrir une flexibilité commerciale à nos clients afin qu’ils bénéficient d’une connectivité de haute qualité qui active leurs solutions d’IoT. Avec des tarifs auto-optimisés, nous pouvons réduire le risque de frais supplémentaires (par exemple, lorsque les mises à jour logicielles sans fil [OTA] utilisent de la bande passante supplémentaire) et, par conséquent, prévenir les mauvaises surprises de facturation. »

En plus de son expertise mondiale de longue date en matière de modules et d’antennes, Quectel possède également une expérience significative en matière de connectivité, ayant développé sa plateforme QuecConnectivity qui gère plus de 30 millions de SIM en Asie. L’offre CaaS peut combiner la connectivité avec des modules et des antennes, offrant aux clients un point d’entrée unique à l’ensemble des produits et services de Quectel.

« En ajoutant la connectivité à ses offres, Quectel réduit la complexité pour ses clients en simplifiant et en accélérant le déploiement des appareils IoT, a déclaré Patrick Qian, président-directeur général de Quectel. Quectel est engagé dans l’innovation qui génère des avantages pour les clients de l’industrie de l’IoT, et notre offre de connectivité constitue une nouvelle étape dans ce processus. Quectel aide les entreprises de l’IoT à bâtir un monde plus intelligent depuis plus d’une décennie, et maintenant, nous allons connecter ce monde plus intelligent. »

À propos de Quectel

La passion de Quectel pour un monde plus intelligent nous pousse à accélérer l’innovation dans l’IoT. En tant qu’entreprise axée sur le client, nous sommes un fournisseur mondial de solutions IoT, appuyé par un soutien et des services exceptionnels. Notre équipe mondiale grandissante compte plus de 3 000 professionnels, précurseurs en matière de connexion cellulaire, GNSS, modules WIFI/BT, antennes et IdO. Quectel est coté à la Bourse de Shanghai (603236.SS), et notre leadership international se consacre à l’avancement de l’IoT à travers le monde.

Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site www.quectel.com, ou les pages LinkedIn, Facebook et Twitter de l’entreprise.

January 25, 2022

Report: Anti-corruption Fight Is Stalled, COVID Not Helping

Most countries have made little to no progress in bringing down corruption levels over the past decade, and authorities’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in many places has weighed on accountability, a closely watched study by an anti-graft organization found Tuesday.

Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perception of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, found that “increasingly, rights and checks and balances are being undermined not only in countries with systemic corruption and weak institutions, but also among established democracies.”

Among other issues over the past year, it cited the use of Pegasus software, which has been linked to snooping on human rights activists, journalists and politicians across the globe.

The report said the pandemic has “been used in many countries as an excuse to curtail basic freedoms and sidestep important checks and balances.”

In Western Europe, the best-scoring region overall, the pandemic has given countries “an excuse for complacency in anti-corruption efforts as accountability and transparency measures are neglected or even rolled back,” Transparency said. In some Asian countries, it said, COVID-19 “also has been used as an excuse to suppress criticism.” It pointed to increased digital surveillance in some nations and authoritarian approaches in others.

The report ranks countries on a scale from a “highly corrupt” 0 to a “very clean” 100. Denmark, New Zealand and Finland tied for first place with 88 points each; the first two were unchanged, while Finland gained three points. Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany completed the top 10. The U.K. was 11th with 78.

The United States, which slipped over recent years to hit 67 points in 2020, held that score this time but slipped a couple of places to 27th. Transparency said it dropped out of the top 25 for the first time “as it faces continuous attacks on free and fair elections and an opaque campaign finance system.”

Canada, which slid three points to 74 and two places to 13th, “is seeing increased risks of bribery and corruption in business,” the group said. It added that the publication of the Pandora Papers showed Canada as “a hub for illicit financial flows, fueling transnational corruption across the region and the world.”

The index rates 180 countries and territories. South Sudan was bottom with 11 points; Somalia, with which it shared last place in 2020, tied this time with Syria for second-to-last with 13. Venezuela followed with 14 — then Yemen, North Korea and Afghanistan tied with 16 apiece.

Transparency said the control of corruption has stagnated or worsened in 86% of the countries it surveyed in the last 10 years. In that time, 23 countries — including the U.S., Canada, Hungary and Poland — have declined significantly in its index, while 25 have improved significantly. They include Estonia, the Seychelles and Armenia.

Compiled since 1995, the index is calculated using 13 different data sources that provide perceptions of public sector corruption from business people and country experts. Sources include the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and private risk and consulting companies.

Source: Voice of America

January 25, 2022

Uganda Ends COVID Curfew, and Nightlife Reopens

Uganda on Monday lifted its two-year COVID-19 curfew, allowing bars and nightspots to re-open. Excited revelers celebrated the end of one of the world’s longest lockdowns.

A reveler who only identified herself as Peace said she has been drinking every night of the lockdown.

Uganda imposed the nighttime curfew in March 2020 in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has led to about 3,500 deaths in the country.

Every night, businesses had to shut down at 7, and no cars were allowed on the streets.

Peace tells VOA that during the lockdown, she ventured into bars owned by government employees that continued to operate in secret but charged high prices for beer.

Excited, she said she is happy she can now drink at her favorite local bar.

“But I’m glad that they opened,” Peace said. “I can manage to go out. I can freely move with a boda. Or I can drive. Like here, three beers at ten thousand. So, if I move out with fifty thousand, I can spend the whole night.”

The government lifted the curfew on Monday, but some restrictions remain.Anyone wandering into a bar or restaurant must wear a mask and show their COVID vaccination card.

Fred Enanga, the Uganda Police spokesperson, cautioned the public to adhere to the health and safety protocols if they do not want to return to curfew.

“Therefore, it is important that all proprietors and managers in night life and the night economy carefully manage the reopening of their business in the safest possible way,” Enanga said. “Where possible they can have ventilation systems in all venues, Sanitation stations throughout the venues.”

Chris, a manager at the High Five bar in Kampala, is hoping to recover the losses he has incurred in the last two years. Monday’s business was disappointing, he said – he didn’t get as many customers as he wished.

The real challenge, he said, could be implementing the safety measures.

“It has been two long years without operating. It is difficult to really tell everybody, show me your vaccination card or certificate,” Chris said. “Nonetheless, we have sanitizer, all the waitresses are vaccinated and we believe we are ready.”

As Uganda attempts to return to normalcy, including the night life, statistics from the Ministry of Health show that as of Sunday, the country had recorded about 160,000 cases of COVID-19.

About 12,5 million people have been vaccinated, well short of the government’s target of 20 million.

Source: Voice of America

January 25, 2022

UN Rights Agency Calls for Swift Return to Civilian Rule in Burkina Faso

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has condemned the military’s seizure of power in Burkina Faso and is calling for a swift return to civilian rule.

The high commissioner is calling on the coup leaders to immediately release President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and other high-level officials. Michelle Bachelet is urging the military to engage in meaningful dialogue with all sectors of society to restore the hard-won democratic gains that have been made in the country.

Bachelet’s spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, accompanied the high commissioner on her visit to Burkina Faso at the end of November. She says there were evident signs of popular discontent with the government’s inability to handle the multi-faceted crises facing the country.

“You had climate change affecting the ability of herders and pastoralists to carry out their daily work and conflict as a result of climate change and that crisis. And then you have violent extremist groups attacking, coming through the porous borders of the country and launching increasing violent attacks against the local population,” she said.

Burkina Faso is also facing a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimates 3.5 million people need international aid to survive. It says nearly all, some 3.3 million people, are facing acute food shortages.

Shamdasani says U.N. monitors on the ground describe the situation as calm for now. But this may change during planned street protests.

“There are people protesting in support of the military coup, as well,” she said. “Those who are frustrated with what they perceive as ineffective measures taken to address the conflict. But again, we stress that a military takeover is not the solution.”

She says it is more important than ever to ensure the rule of law and the country’s obligations under international human rights law are fully respected. Shamdasani says it is crucial that people’s democratic rights are protected and that they are able to air their grievances without fear.

Source: Voice of America

January 25, 2022

Supporters of Burkina Faso’s Military Welcome Coup

Supporters of Burkina Faso’s military have welcomed Monday’s coup, as the armed forces are seen as key in the fight against Islamist militants. Analysts say the coup and attempted assassination of deposed President Roch Kaboré raise concerns about long-term stability and a return to democracy.

On Monday evening, after taking control of the national TV station earlier in the day, a group of 14 soldiers appeared on screen with the message, “In view of the continuous deterioration of the security situation which threatens the very foundations of our nation, the manifest inability of the power of Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to unite the Burkinabés.”

The soldiers said they had seized power in the West African country and dissolved the Kaboré government.

It marked the end of a two-day mutiny by the army, the end of Kaboré’s six-year rule and the only period of democracy in Burkina Faso’s history.

While French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the coup, as has the U.S. State Department, on Tuesday morning, more than a thousand pro-coup demonstrators gathered in the center of Ouagadougou to celebrate the military takeover.

One of the demonstrators, air traffic controller Jibre Traore, said the country has become unsafe.

“So far, we don’t have any response to terrorism. From Ouagadougou, you are not even able to step out more than 100 kilometers after Ouagadougou. When are we going to live in safety in our country?”

Kaboré and his government had come under increasing criticism for failing to subdue groups with links to Islamic State and al-Qaida militants.

The terrorist threat provoked a military coup in neighboring Mali last year.

Paul Melly, an analyst with London-based research group Chatham House, doubts that Monday’s takeover will have a positive effect.

“The coup in Burkina Faso doesn’t really do anything to take the country forward in terms of stability and organizing a response, either to the security crisis or to the establishment of some sort of clear roadmap forward in political terms. Because the constitutional institutions have been suspended the country is now at risk of being under sanctions from ECOWAS,” he said.

On Tuesday afternoon, West African political bloc ECOWAS announced it sees Burkina Faso’s power shift as a military coup, which could indicate a step toward political and economic sanctions.

ECOWAS recently imposed sanctions on Mali because its military leaders have tried to extend the transition to civilian rule by five years.

Andrew Lebovich is an analyst with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“I think it’s a bit too early to say what’s going to happen in terms of democracy for the new military leadership. I think certainly it’s very unlikely that they’re going to turn over power anytime soon. The model in the region, looking at Guinea, looking at Mali, has been to push for a much longer transition timeline,” he said.

The soldiers who have taken over the country are yet to announce who Burkina Faso’s president will be, while the whereabouts of former President Kaboré is still not known.

Source: Voice of America