Under the right conditions, solar batteries are economically beneficial for South Australian homeowners and can pay for themselves off within the warranty period, a new research finds.

Increased storage and strategic transmission development will be needed to ensure the lowest cost and risk transition of Australia’s energy system, the Australian Energy Market Operator states in its latest study. In 20 years time, the need for storage will be at a scale not seen before in the NEM, and both pumped hydro storage and distributed storage are set to play major roles in lowering wholesale electricity prices and building a reliable and resilient power system.

Studies, reports and data continue to pile up, showing Australia is falling behind its international climate commitments. What is more, the nation is on track to become a global emissions superpower, and could be responsible for up to 17% of global emissions by 2030, according to new research. Another report shows Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions surged again in the first quarter of 2019 as the downward trend in the electricity sector reversed and fugitive emissions from the LNG industry reached record high.

Applications are now open for the Queensland government’s $15 million Hydrogen Industry Development Fund, which will support sustainable and renewable hydrogen projects across the state.

As one of the most energy-intensive industries, the resource sector is getting serious about integrating cheap wind and solar energy into its mix to boost bottom lines. Although still predominantly underpinned by gas or diesel, mine operations are increasingly deploying hybrid solutions pointing to the potential of the sector transitioning to 100% renewables – particularly as momentum builds for green hydrogen to play a role in future microgrids.

The first phase of a 6 MW solar array planned to power a former car manufacturing site at Tonsley in Adelaide will be delivered by ZEN Energy. The solar installation will ultimately work in conjunction with on-site battery storage and smart technologies as part of Enwave Australia’s Tonsley District Energy Scheme.

Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy has placed Australian and Vietnamese solar markets side by side and found the Southeast Asian country has left Australia behind in terms of commissioned utility-scale PV capacity. A staggering 4,460 MW of connected PV capacity in Vietnam at the end of June came as a surprise to many.

The July quota for solar PV rebates under Victoria’s Solar Homes program has been filled within days. The next release will be available in August.

One of Australia’s largest utility-scale solar arrays and the biggest energy storage facilities was given a tick of approval.

While the Federal Government may insist Australia is on track to meet its international commitments, a number of studies, including the government’s own figures, show exactly the opposite. In its latest report, The Australia Institute points to “concerning upward trends” in emissions from fossil fuel mining.