David Carroll
Drivers hedge bets with charger drama holding EV uptake back
Range anxiety has long been seen as the main obstacle stopping drivers from going electric. But range isn’t the real issue. The average range of a new electric vehicle is more than 450 km, and top models offer more than 700 km per charge. By contrast, the average car is driven about 33 km per day in Australia as of 2020.
Ergon plans ‘Queensland first’ microgrid in state’s far north
Queensland government-owned utility Ergon Energy has announced it will build the state’s first network-connected microgrid as it investigates how to best utilise distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, and improve the reliability of electricity supply in edge-of-grid communities.
Concentrated solar plant turns to plastic mirrors to power clean heat
South Australia researchers will team with industry partners to build a concentrated solar thermal plant in New South Wales featuring lightweight plastic mirrors that incorporate an aluminium-silica reflective coating to produce industrial heat or electricity.
ClearVue does manufacturing and distribution deal for NZ
ClearVue Technologies has entered the New Zealand market through an exclusive manufacturing and distribution agreement for its solar glass and building integrated PV technology with Viridian Glass, the nation’s largest glass fabricator.
SunDrive strikes China pact to scale up copper PV technology
Australian PV innovator SunDrive Solar says it has struck an agreement with two of China’s biggest solar equipment manufacturers to help launch its copper electrode technology onto the global market.
Victoria fast tracks approval for 700 MWh battery project
The Victorian government has fast tracked the approval of what is to be one of the state’s biggest battery energy storage systems as it seeks to accelerate the development of projects to support its renewable energy ambitions.
US-based SEG Solar launches cell production in Indonesia
United States-headquartered PV module manufacturer SEG Solar has successfully commissioned a solar cell factory in Indonesia with the first N-type cell produced at the facility having rolled off the production line.
NSW targets 1 GW of energy storage with latest tender
New South Wales has launched a new tender seeking 1 GW of long-duration energy storage projects that are each able to continuously dispatch power for at least eight hours at their registered capacity.
AGL adds 1.4 GW of pumped hydro projects to pipeline
Australian energy giant AGL has added two pumped hydro projects with a combined capacity of almost 1.4 GW, each with 10 hours of energy storage, to its development pipeline as it works to transition its energy portfolio from coal-fired power generation to backed-up renewables.
Pacific expands east coast presence with NSW hybrid power system
Western Australian-headquartered Pacific Energy says it will design and deliver a hybrid power system featuring a 10.6 MW solar farm as part of plans to power a critical minerals project in remote New South Wales with up to 100% renewable energy.
