Energy Storage

Queensland’s first community-scale battery is nearing completion after the delivery of its 4 MW Tesla battery. The battery, to be charged with excess solar power from Townsville’s residential rooftop PV, should connect to the grid by the end of the summer.

Researchers at Sydney’s Macquarie University have developed a multi-functional device that can be easily installed in any EV to alleviate energy anxiety in the vehicle and the household. The Intelligent Charger could be the necessary bridge in the transition to EVs.

Australia’s bushfire crisis is beginning to expose a National Energy Market over-reliant on vulnerable individual elements. Does Australia’s changing environment necessitate a localised energy future?

Scientists at Monash University claim to have developed the world’s most efficient lithium-sulfur battery. They say the new device could enable an electric vehicle to drive more than 1,000km on a single charge.

As the energy landscape continues to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century, digitalization is growing within generation, distribution and transmission. On the demand management side, Amber Electric is seeking to bring transparency to the market, passing wholesale prices directly to consumers for a $10 flat monthly fee. The Melbourne-based start-up is readying to expand its offering in 2020, as home batteries, EV chargers and other smart devices establish a firmer hold in the Australian electricity market, says Dan Adams, co-founder of Amber Electric.

Solar and battery optimization technology provider Evergen and solar battery provider Solar Service Group have joined forces to connect thousands of residential batteries across Australia. By delivering significant benefits to consumers, the joint venture hopes to boost the uptake home batteries nation-wide.

A microgrid installed on an apartment block in Melbourne will provide clean and affordable electricity to 52 low-income households. It is the first site of Ovida’s Community Energy Hubs project, which will deliver shared solar PV and batteries to more multi-tenanted buildings in the city.

Sydney-based developer Genex Power Limited (Genex) has fought its way back from several unlucky blows to achieve financial close for the 50MW Jemalong Solar Project and the refinancing of the 50 MW Kidston Solar One Project.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is set to fund Australian energy technology company Wattwatchers to the tune of $2.7 million. The funding will aid the development of a consumer-facing energy data hub, ‘My Energy Marketplace,’ another step forward in consumer energy empowerment.

Western Australian energy trading technology company Power Ledger and wholesaler energy retailer Powerclub have teamed up with German battery manufacturer sonnen and solar and battery installer Natural Solar to launch their virtual power plant pilot in South Australia. The project is the first large-scale commercial rollout of blockchain technology for solar energy trading in Australia.