Highlights

pv magazine Australia sits down with Fulcrum 3D, the provider of the most accurate ground-based forecasting technologies for the solar and wind sectors. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of knowledge ahead of time can make.

Large energy consumers will be allowed into the wholesale market and paid for reducing their power usage at times of peak demand under a new rule that will be introduced next year.

GFG Alliance head Sanjeev Gupta has announced a high-cost refurbishment plan for the Whyalla Steelworks in South Australia marking a major step towards his goal to power the plant with green hydrogen.

A newcomer to the Australian renewable energy scene, Austrom Hydrogen has unveiled plans to develop a large solar project, battery storage and hydrogen generation facility in Queensland.

The federal government has announced funding for a series of microgrid feasibility studies that will seek to unlock more secure, affordable, and reliable energy for regional and Indigenous communities.

More than $3 billion of renewable hydrogen projects are vying for funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build the first commercial-scale projects in the country.

A new report from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) shows that the renewable energy sector in Australia has exhibited resilience with 1.3 GW of new installed capacity despite the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. While rooftop PV continued to thrive in the first three months of this year, the construction of large-scale projects was generally on track with minimal delays.

The continuing dominance of the small-scale solar sector and the great potential for regional and rural jobs are just some of the findings in the Clean Energy Council’s “Clean Energy At Work”, a first-of-its-kind extensive report into the current renewable energy workforce and its potential over the next 10-15 years.

Australia’s rooftop PV fleet continues to grow in the face of uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of the pandemic, posting another big month above 200 MW. Mega-household solar systems are growing in popularity, but retailers and installers can see the storm clouds gathering.

In a major reform of the energy rules, distribution businesses across Australia will be allowed to service remote areas with stand-alone power systems and avoid costly network upgrades.