Installations

Australia’s utility-scale renewable energy sector is set for a record year with 3.6 GW of projects expected to complete commissioning in 2020, Rystad Energy finds. This comprises 1.96 GW in utility PV projects and 1.57 GW in wind developments, with the remaining 0.1 GW coming from batteries.

Investment in Australian renewable energy capacity fell 40% in 2019 down from record-breaking levels seen in the year before, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Spending on large-scale renewables dropped dramatically due to network woes and long-term policy uncertainty but was ameliorated by the rooftop solar segment’s record growth.

A study from Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology has predicted solar and other renewables can provide a global energy jobs revolution – just as four European operations revealed recent struggles.

The small tourist town of Denham in Western Australia’s Shark Bay World Heritage Area could host a renewable hydrogen demonstration project as part of a new energy solution planned for the town.

Renewables developer MPower has commenced work on two 5 MW solar farms in South Australia expanding its portfolio of smaller utility-scale projects.

University of Queensland researchers have quantified the amount of on-site renewable energy generation utilised by the nation’s water industry. The results are interesting if not already anachronistic due to the rapid pace of advancement in the world of solar PV.

The Dutch water management agency plans to install solar panels along both sides of the A37 highway in Drenthe province, as well as on the median strip, to cover 300 hectares in total. The project is part of a plan to build projects on state land, as the domestic PV industry continues to search for alternative surfaces on which to deploy solar.

Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy group Masdar is sailing into the southeast Asian market with its, and Indonesia’s, first floating solar power plant. The project is to be the largest of its kind in South East Asia.

The final tally was 2.13 GW of sub-100kW systems registered in 2019 following a record installation surge in December, according to solar analyst SunWiz. This represents a jump of a 35% year-on-year and puts the grand total at 10 GW.

Spanish utility Iberdrola is investing $500 million in a massive hybrid renewable energy project in South Australia. The funding will pave the way for the landmark project developed by DP Energy to proceed following a significant delay.