2023

More than 200 entries from across 39 countries made up the field for the pv magazine Awards 2023 and there was genuine innovation on display in all categories. Significant demands have been placed on the solar and energy storage industries in 2023, but that hasn’t stopped the sector from making great leaps in performance. The winners of the pv magazine Awards 2023 serve as shining examples of what can be achieved through a continuous improvement philosophy.

Australian startup NRN is rolling out its proposition to fit households with solar and batteries at no cost to consumers. Announcing its partnership with retailer Diamond Energy and the completion of a $13.5 million (USD 9.18 million) capital raise, the company believes it’s found the trick to successfully deploying free household renewables by focussing on retailer value. Pv magazine Australia spoke to NRN and experts about how exactly the model works and where the value comes from.

The Australian arm of French renewables player Neoen is set to start the construction of its largest solar farm in New South Wales – and the second biggest in its global portfolio – pressing go on the 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm being developed in the state’s south.

Western Australia utility Western Power has commenced the rollout of a $28 million (USD 19 million) works package to manage the capacity of key distribution feeders in the state’s main electricity network and unlock new renewable energy generation opportunities.

ElectraNet has announced the successful completion of the South Australian component of Project EnergyConnect, the new high-voltage transmission line between South Australia and New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s renewable energy landscape.

Solar module size standardisation will enhance supply chain efficiencies, boost production, and lower costs, according to the 700W+ Photovoltaic Open Innovation Ecological Alliance, thus accelerating the industrialisation of 700 W or greater modules.

NTU Singapore researchers and startup EtaVolt have presented a high-intensity illumination device that can reportedly “patch up” the holes caused by light and heat in silicon solar cells. The new technique is claimed to reduce solar module degradation by up to five years and to be usable for about 90% of the solar modules available in the market.

Renewables developer Enel Green Power Australia has confirmed that its 27 MW Cohuna Solar Farm in northern Victoria has resumed partial operations after being forced to shut down following a grassfire at the site last month.

The latest estimates of electricity generation costs in Australia reveal that solar and wind power remain the cheapest form of energy, even after the expense of integrating them into the grid is factored in.

New South Wales electricity distributor Endeavour Energy has flicked the switch on the state’s first community microgrid with the rooftop solar and battery energy storage system helping to provide power certainty for the South Coast communities of Bawley Point and Kioloa.