Distributed Storage

Q Cells is bringing its hybrid inverter, battery system to the Australian market, the Q.Home, and will unveil the new kit at the All-Energy event in Melbourne tomorrow. Along with the Q.Home system, the supplier is introducing its new larger wafer module, which hits 355 Wp on a 60-cell format.

With UK success under its belt, Social Energy is set to make Australia’s vast rooftop PV resource pay back more to households and deliver for the grid — think an energy-storage system that uses AI to manage, distribute and trade energy generated by aggregated home solar.

One of the world’s largest solar cell and PV module manufacturers, South Korea-headquartered Q Cells zealously guards its Tier 1 status, its reputation for quality, and its IP based on 20 years of research and development. Key Account Director Myungsin Shim muses on the future of PV in Australia, and a raft of new Hanwha offerings about to hit the market.

Almost a year after the opening of its assembly and manufacturing facility at the site of the old Holden factory, German battery manufacturer Sonnen can now officially say its products are made in the land of kangaroos.

Solar infrastructure developer Lyon Group has strengthened its ties in the Asian markets through a significant joint-venture with two of Asia’s largest energy generators. The agreement will see integrated battery storage systems utilised to reduce the risk of curtailment and increase the flexibility of renewable energy plants.

Two years after scrapping a draft that threatened to effectively ban the installation of lithium-ion batteries in Australian homes and garages, a new standard for battery storage sector has been released. While billed as a necessary safety measure for consumers, the new standard may make business and installation more complex for the battery storage sector.

Aussie company Vast Solar wins Technology Innovation Award at the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) SolarPACES 2019.

Among 31 dispatchable electricity projects unveiled this week under the NSW Emerging Energy Program, utility-scale battery storage accounted for a bulk of proposals. Four big batteries have been awarded funds for pre-investment studies, and another ten have been shortlisted for capital funding.

The devices, developed by a European research team, are said to have twice the energy density of conventional aluminum devices. The scientists used a cathode made of anthraquinone, instead of one based on graphene, increasing energy density.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union is recommending an overhaul of policies to promote manufacturing in regional Australia along with a major push to create new jobs in a range of industries, including lithium batteries, green hydrogen and renewables.