Distributed Storage

Queensland flow battery company, Redflow, has commissioned a 30 kWh zinc-bromine flow battery for the Brisbane City Council.

Prolux Solutions has developed a redox flow battery with a charging and discharging capacity of 4 kW and 5 kW of peak power. It is designed to be coupled with PV systems in homes with high consumption profiles.

GoodWe plans to bring a range of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) products to Australia, announcing a partnership with specialist Umax Energy. The manufacturer this month released the details of its lightweight new panel, and plans to introduce an integrated solar roof tile to the Australian market.

The rollout of rooftop solar in the coastal town of Broome in northern Western Australia has received a major boost with a 274.45 kW PV system installed at the local high school as the state government continues its push to deliver solar energy solutions for its remote and regional schools.

To power Australia without fossil fuels will mean using batteries to store power from solar and wind. We often think this means home batteries – or large grid-scale installations.

Battery companies hoping to get a foothold in Australia’s rapidly growing storage market were the main exhibitors at the Smart Energy Conference held in Sydney last week, outnumbering solar companies almost two-to-one. Pv magazine Australia looked at what is on offer and who the new hopefuls in the battery space are.

While Australia’s home battery market seems to have attracted most of the interest from newcomers, there has been some significant new developments in the commercial and utility-scale space. Pv magazine Australia examined the new products and companies in the commercial and utility battery storage space on display at the Smart Energy Conference.

Chinese solar and storage technology manufacturer Sungrow has strengthened its commitment in Australia, inking new distribution agreements that will deliver at least 550 MWh of the company’s energy storage system solutions and 250 MW of its inverters into the Australian market.

Public housing tenants in the outback town of Alice Springs are set to share in the benefits of renewable energy with the Northern Territory government launching a rooftop PV and battery energy storage trial that will help inform the planning of future public housing builds and management of solar power on current stock.

The International Energy Agency expects Australia’s “outstanding” economic fundamentals for residential and commercial rooftop solar will see the sector stabilise in 2023 after a new report revealed the PV market contracted in 2022.