Reliance Industries said its solar unit will buy UK-based sodium-ion battery technology provider Faradion for GBP100 million (AUD$187 million) including debt, as the Indian conglomerate pushes forward with its ambitious plan to move into the renewable energy industry.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced a $100 million competitive funding round for grid scale batteries. While battery technology agnostic, the projects must be equipped with advanced inverter technology.

Researchers from Tokyo Tech have developed an alternative to hydrogen energy storage which is smaller in size and more efficient. The system utilises carbon as an energy source and demonstrates superior power density and charge-discharge efficiency of 38% over 10 cycles.

The reliability of Australia’s power supply has improved driven by the addition of new solar and wind capacity, making summer blackouts less likely, the Australian Energy Market Operator finds in its latest report. In light of the aging coal fleet and scheduled plant closures, timely commissioning of new generation, storage and transmission investment will be critical.

The UK developer has completed the sale of the 162MWac (203MWdc) Columboola Solar Farm in Queensland’s Western Downs, having recently signed a power purchase agreement with state government-owned utility CS Energy.

In light of the recent events that have caused the polysilicon price to skyrocket, solar developers in Australia are being warned about module supply constraints and price volatility over the coming quarter.

The California-based energy technology company has announced that its microinverters have been selected for Solargain’s turnkey solar offerings in Australia, including the retailer’s offer in collaboration with the Swedish furniture giant.

In its H1 2020 report, the UK-based infrastructure investor revealed it had suffered substantial losses, mainly due to performance issues on its renewable energy projects. Two of the company’s Australian solar farms were particularly badly hit by transmission and equipment issues.

Reports emerged on Tuesday that Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor had requested a review of Australia’s rooftop solar sector, citing integrity concerns. An important message comes from the Clean Energy Council as it warns against an Abbott-era political intervention that could harm the industry.

As part of the state’s economic recovery plan, the Palaszczuk Government has committed $145 million for Renewable Energy Zones in north, central and south-west Queensland.