July 2021

Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a revolutionary lithium-metal battery chemistry that could allow electric vehicle batteries to almost double their capacity, while also overcoming historic setbacks.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has unveiled new rules designed to better integrate both small and large-scale batteries into the National Electricity Market and provide financial rewards for market participants who can respond at lightning-quick speeds to provide stability when the grid is under stress.

Electricity network owner Spark Investment has announced plans to develop a 2.5 GW renewable energy hub in New South Wales as it continues to move beyond owning regulated network infrastructure towards renewable energy generation assets.

Independent MP Zali Steggall has called for a conscience vote after two Liberal backbenchers broke ranks to back a net zero by 2050 emissions target after a parliamentary committee rejected a bill to legislate the goal.

The generator can be combined with batteries, solar panels, or small wind turbines. It is based on a proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology and is claimed to have a minimum lifetime of 5,000 working hours.

Scientists demonstrated a perovskite-silicon tandem cell that reached 27% conversion efficiency. Though higher tandem cell efficiencies have been achieved, this represents a big jump in efficiency for those utilising n-i-p architecture, which previously had not surpassed 22%.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will provide $2 million to ClimateWorks Australia for the next phase of the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative, which is aims to support some of the country’s biggest companies to decarbonise.

In his first public address, the newly appointed head of the Australian Energy Market Operator significantly upped the Operator’s ambitions for renewable penetrations in the grid, conveying the importance of no longer constraining what he called ‘zero cost’ renewable energy assets.

Broome, a coastal town on Western Australia’s north, has barely any rooftop solar – though not for lack of interest. In fact, local residents were so hungry to install solar, they exhausted the state government’s 900 kW allocation of additional hosting capacity by mid-morning.

There is a big concern in the industry right now for even the top tier solar companies. As the demand for installers and systems is ever increasing, the number of good solar installers are not.