Liberal sprinkling of $490 million sees NSW effectively rally drivers to buy EVs and reduce emissions
Gladys Berejiklian’s government in NSW surges ahead in the race to drive meaningful reductions in transport emissions; while a former NSW Liberal leader turns car washes into solar-powered charge stations!
AEMO analysis finds Western Australia on the fast track to energy system transformation
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s latest analysis of the Western Australian Wholesale Energy Market has found that investment in renewable generation and distributed solar is accelerating at a rapid pace, and importantly, that that acceleration is within the control of the state’s energy transition strategies.
Gravity-based storage for distributed solar
An international research team has designed a residential solar-plus-storage system based on gravity. The system was built with a solar power generator, a bulk booster charge controller, an inverter, a solenoid device, a deep cycle battery, a pulley block, a geared motor, a microcontroller, and wire ropes. Its creators said the system is ideal for regions with high solar radiation. They found that, due to its high electrical requirements, the system needs to rely on high-power solar modules with an output of over 500 W.
Photovoltaics and geothermal heat pumps for domestic hot water heating
According to a new study from LUT University, domestic water heating costs may be reduced by combining rooftop PV with geothermal heat pumps. Scientists developed a control method to minimise these costs by taking advantage of cheap spot market electricity and maximised PV power generation, as well as considering heat demand, PV generation forecasts, and heat pump efficiency.
Solarwatt, BMW launch new storage system for residential PV
The smallest of the storage units has a capacity of 4.8 kWh and an output of 1.5 kW. It can be expanded to eight battery modules in steps of 2.4 kWh and has a maximum of 57.6 kWh, and 6 kW, of power.
New IEEFA report sees South Australia as world’s energy transition model
The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial analysis (IEEFA) has published a report in which it points to seven key lessons energy planners the world over can take from South Australia’s extraordinary renewable energy integration. However, even South Australia, IEEFA’s model, still requires thoughtful planning and policy for the path forward.
SA social housing VPP expanded to provide Tesla batteries to homes without solar
The Housing SA Tesla VPP is being expanded to include a trial of 20 homes unsuitable for solar installation. The SA Government is offering free Tesla batteries to such homes to show how participation in the VPP with a battery alone can still deliver significant savings.
Commonwealth puts $20 mill into Amber, helping energy customers ditch exxie fossil fuels for renewables
That’s the Commonwealth Bank of Australia we’re talking about, not the Commonwealth Government … but someone has to lead the way. Sustainability-savvy CBA is placing an investment bet on innovative energy retailer, Amber.
UNSW digs the data: How much solar energy is lost through automated inverter settings?
In a huge data-crunching project designed to inform rooftop solar-export policy and regulations, UNSW technical and social researchers delve into the costs and effectiveness of inverter standards.
Concrete battery for applications in buildings, rooftop PV
A prototype of a cement-based battery has been developed in Sweden for potential applications in buildings. Its creators claim it could become a solution to store electricity from rooftop PV and they do not exclude that it could also be used for the storage of large-scale renewables.
