Distributed Storage

A 17.6 kW battery hybrid solar system installed on a three-level home overlooking the central Queensland coastline has earned installer Solpac Energy Solutions top honours in this year’s Clean Energy Council Solar Design and Installation Awards.

Victorian hydrogen company Energys has unveiled its third-generation, locally-manufactured Hydrogen Fuel Cell Generators, five of which are to provide backup power for Telstra’s remote telecommunications towers as part of a Victorian pilot. The company says it is already constructing a green hydrogen generation plant too, supported by funding from the Victorian government.

Brisbane-based Vaulta has developed a lighter, smaller battery casing with fewer parts, which makes it easier to assemble modules and repair faulty components. CEO Dominic Spooner argues that the company’s patented technology has the potential to significantly reduce battery waste.

The 5 kWh battery solution uses Ecoflow’s PV-coupling technology that reportedly ensures an easy connection to existing solar arrays. The new product features an output voltage range of 150-800 V.

Australian superannuation giant Aware Super has made a large-scale entry into the distributed renewable energy market, teaming with Melbourne-based Birdwood Energy in a venture specialising in smaller-scale solar and battery installations.

Researchers at Victoria’s Monash University have developed a new lithium-sulphur battery design they claim requires less lithium, has more energy per unit volume, lasts longer and can be produced for half the price of the dominant lithium-ion technology.

Australia’s vast distances make the supply of electricity via traditional grids expensive and even dangerous. With demand growing for agricultural goods produced with low-carbon emissions, solar and energy storage is being embraced even by skeptical farmers.

South Korean electronics manufacturer LG has updated the recall of its solar batteries with Australia’s consumer watchdog warning owners of LG-branded batteries to “immediately” switch off their solar storage systems amid concerns the battery may overheat and ignite.

pv magazine has learned that five solar-related fires in Germany and Austria occurred in late September. Photographs show that two of the blazes were likely caused by residential batteries manufactured by LG.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new LiFePo4 battery is IP66-rated and has a lifecycle of more than 6,000 cycles. It comes with a 10-year warranty.