A guided tour of Australia’s solar and storage market; Part 1: Victoria
Abundant sunshine, favorable policy settings and high power prices have long placed Australia at the cutting edge of rooftop solar uptake. The more recent utility-scale boom has further enhanced its status as a PV leader. Battery adoption, microgrids, EVs and green hydrogen are all taking shape, yet what should be an Aussie smart energy no-brainer continues to be dogged by mounting investment uncertainty and a toxic debate on the national level.
Strategic partnership to bring microgrids to the mines
In a deal that can only improve the appeal of renewable energy to the mining industry, Siemens and renewable energy developer juwi have joined forces in a strategic technology partnership set to bring renewable microgrids to the off-grid mine sites.
Gold mining industry looks to transition to mining golden sunlight
New research by the World Gold Council identifies greenhouse gas emissions across the whole supply chain of gold mining and sets out a plan to aureate the industry’s carbon footprint with solar PV and other renewables.
Redflow to supply remote telecommunication sites in New Zealand
The New Zealand Rural Connectivity Group will use Redflow zinc-bromine flow batteries to store energy in off-grid telecommunication sites.
Meet the Aussie startup delivering solar minigrids to remote communities from a ping-pong table
Meet Afnan Hannan, CEO and co-founder of Okra Solar, an Aussie startup looking to eradicate energy poverty using solar minigrids that has already been recognised with a global sustainability award and a best IoT startup award.
Western Australia iron ore mining hub to run on solar
On the back of a landmark agreement with Alinta Energy, Fortescue Metals will use solar power for up to 100% of its daytime energy needs at the Chichester Hub iron ore operation in the Pilbara region.
Installation of one of Australia’s largest rooftop solar arrays underway
The first rows of solar panels have been laid on the roof of the Main Assembly Building at Tonsley Innovation District. The 2.34 MW solar array will ultimately work in conjunction with on-site battery storage and smart technologies as part of South Australia’s first district energy scheme.
Federal government launches $50 million microgrid funding program
Up to $20 million of grants will be awarded for microgrid feasibility studies across Australia through the first round of the Federal Government’s Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund. The fund aims to provide more secure, affordable and reliable power to regional communities and save “hundreds of millions of dollars” on network upgrades.
“I said ‘Lord Howe!’” Iconic island to receive solar + battery storage installation
Lord Howe Island is set to finally receive a solution to its energy problems with the installation of a solar + battery storage system that will reduce its reliance on diesel fuel.
Horizon becomes first utility to replace overhead network with stand-alone solar and battery systems
Today’s project milestone saw the disconnection of the properties from overhead lines and will enable 64 kilometres of poles and wires to be replaced by off-grid solar+battery solutions.
