July 2022

The green credentials of solar PV technology have been reinforced with Singapore-headquartered manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies releasing details of an independent study that shows the energy output of its Maxeon 3 panels is more than 100 times greater than the input required to make the solar panels.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are getting better, according to the Energy Storage Inspection 2022 report by the University of Applied Sciences, HTW Berlin. The fifth edition of the study assessed 21 storage systems and found that while only two of the BESS studied were categorised as being efficiency class “A” in 2020, that number grew to six in 2022.

Chinese-Canadian PV heavyweight Canadian Solar has for an undisclosed sum offloaded two of its Australian utility scale solar power projects with a combined generation capacity of 260 MW to an offshoot of United States renewable energy giant Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

One of the most characteristic features of Australia’s National Electricity Market is the sheer length of the entire network. With roughly 40,000 kilometres of high voltage transmission lines spanning a physical distance of around 5,000km, we have one of the longest interconnected electricity grids in the world.

Queensland-based energy investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure has unveiled plans to build a $2.5 billion data storage precinct in Brisbane that will be powered by renewable energy and include one of the largest battery storage installations in the National Electricity Market.

A new report from the International Energy Agency stresses the importance of geographically diversifying the global PV supply chain. This would prevent supply chain vulnerability to bankruptcies and underinvestment.

Greece-based industrial conglomerate Mytilineos continues to notch up renewable energy milestones in the Australian market with construction commencing on the 75 MW Wyalong Solar Farm in the New South Wales Riverina region.

Singapore’s Energy Market Authority has already attracted proposals for 1.2 GW of renewable electricity, to be generated in four southeast Asian nations, and wants to raise that figure to 4 GW by 2035.

Salient Energy developed the water-based zinc-ion battery to have the same power, performance, and footprint as lithium-ion systems without the safety risk.

Thin-film cadmium telluride panels may have a US$0.02 to US$0.04 per watt carbon cost advantage over traditional polysilicon, said the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in an analysis of embodied carbon, embodied energy, and energy payback.