A global registry that uses satellite images to map and quantify the rollout of solar PV across rooftops in some of the world’s most iconic cities has ranked Melbourne among the top five for solar roof utilisation.

The development of a “world-first” marketplace designed to maximise the value of distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles is on track with the Australian Energy Market Operator confirming it expects to start trialling the platform in early 2022.

The suitability of vanadium redox flow battery technology for Australian residential and commercial applications is set to be tested with Perth-based energy storage company VSUN Energy planning to deploy three 5 kW/30 kWh flow batteries.

Renewable energy developer Elliott Green Power is now accepting official bids for its Australian solar PV farms and expanding portfolio of battery energy storage assets as it seeks to exit the Australian market.

Victorian network service provider Powercor claims a major works program designed to alleviate grid congestion in areas of high rooftop solar PV penetration has boosted the approval rate for new solar connections to export excess energy to the grid by an impressive 30%.

Renewable energy developer MPower is progressing plans to establish a portfolio of up to 20 small-scale solar PV farms in Australia, confirming binding purchase agreements have been signed for two 5 MW project sites.

A market reform more than four years in the making is set to be introduced in less than 30 days with the Australian Energy Market Operator this week confirming the five-minute settlement period will come into effect on October 1, 2021.

AUSTRALIA’S largest planned Renewable Energy Zone has been ‘swamped’ by investors with the New South Wales government revealing that more than 80 new solar, wind and energy storage projects, totalling a massive 34 GW, had been proposed for the New England region.

Researchers at Melbourne’s Monash University have used lessons learned during the development of a solar PV powered microgrid at its Clayton campus to produce an interactive ‘toolbox’ designed to support the uptake of the technology in commercial, industrial and community settings.

Australia’s biggest energy retailer Origin Energy will team with Japan’s largest oil refiner Eneos to explore the potential of establishing a commercial-scale green hydrogen supply chain between Australia and Japan.