In anticipation of a more detailed presentation of the scheme, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg used the opportunity of the speech to the National Press Club to present the National Energy Guarantee as the best possible option to ensure reliability of supply, describing it as “technology neutral”. Amid mounting criticism leveled by retailers, analysts and leading developers of battery storage, few signs of a national consensus on the proposed NEG are emerging.

The Spanish tracker manufacturer has announced its first deal in Australia just months after opening a subsidiary in Sydney.

Western Australia energy provider Synergy has named RCR Tomlinson as EPC contractor for the expansion of the Greenough River solar farm from 10MW to 40MW.   

South32 has announced a remote, off-grid renewable energy project at its Cannington mine, which will involve a 3MW solar farm.

A new report drafted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre shows that global solar energy investments overshadowed all other forms of electricity generation in 2017. China is leading the pack of the world’s largest renewables investors, followed by Australia, Mexico and Sweden.

After the 50MW Stage 1 solar farm was switched on late last year, the Kidston renewable energy hub has now received a development approval for 270MW of solar, which is to be co-located with a 250MW pumped storage hydro project.

From just a handful of large-scale solar PV projects a few years ago, Australia is becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. With a substantial project pipeline, the country is in the box seat to experience a banner year in 2018, with the 2020 Renewable Energy Target (RET) now in hand and a new policy taking shape for the period beyond.

The first commercial deployment of Power Ledger’s P2P energy trading platform will take place in partnership with energy solutions business Greenwood Solutions, which will be in charge of installing solar across strata units.

The Chinese technology firm has inked an agreement with EPC provider Biosar for a solar farm in Queensland, estimated at around US$ 30 million – a significant deal for the company’s thriving solar PV division.

After the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provided an extra $25 million to match the Victorian government’s funding offer, the state of Victoria is now in line for two large-scale, grid-connected batteries, one of which will be coupled with an existing solar farm.