Commercial & Industrial PV

The Australian Energy Market Operator’s latest analysis of the Western Australian Wholesale Energy Market has found that investment in renewable generation and distributed solar is accelerating at a rapid pace, and importantly, that that acceleration is within the control of the state’s energy transition strategies.

Aldi Australia committed to reaching 100% renewable energy for its operations by the end of 2021, it’s done that with six months to spare. Achieved through an unprecedented commercial solar rollout, PPAs with two wind farms, and renewable energy certificates, the German discount supermarket beat out its competitors and is now preventing 274,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Over 1000 kW of solar capacity is being installed atop 59 Western Australian train and bus stations, with work already completed at a number of the sites.

Spanish mounting system provider Alusín Solar has developed a solution to enable the transit of installers on roofs. It has recently commissioned a production line for this product, which it dubbed Carex.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, and the Australian Energy Market Operator have found even when factoring in additional ‘integration’ costs such as storage and new transmission infrastructure, solar and wind continue to be the cheapest sources of new-build electricity generation in Australia.

The new product has an efficiency of 98.8% and a European efficiency of up to 98.5%. It features 10 independent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs, with MPPT voltage ranging from 180-1000 V.

It’s one thing to set a target for net zero, another to chart a course that will get you there in competitive form. Services are emerging to bridge the gap.

A proposal which would allow network operators to charge rooftop solar PV owners to export their surplus energy to the grid has been opposed by key stakeholder groups in a joint submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial analysis (IEEFA) has published a report in which it points to seven key lessons energy planners the world over can take from South Australia’s extraordinary renewable energy integration. However, even South Australia, IEEFA’s model, still requires thoughtful planning and policy for the path forward.

The system, developed by Spanish specialist Alusín Solar, is being tested by Endesa in a 9.8 MW project for self-consumption. The mounting structure is made with aluminium bars that, instead of being fixed to the roof with screws, are attached through a double-sided adhesive.