Commercial & Industrial PV

Last year, Australia shattered all records in terms of investment in renewables and capacity additions, but a range of concerns for solar PV developers, including network constraints, delays and grid connection issues, are looming over the nation’s clean energy sector, according to an annual overview drafted by global policy network REN21.

More regional Western Australians will have the opportunity to install rooftop solar panels on their premises with 10 MW of additional renewable energy generation released on Horizon Power microgrids.

In an ASX announcement today, Queensland-based independent power producer ReNu Energyannounced that it has entered into a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Shopping Centres Australasia Property Group (SCA Property Group) for a further four solar PV and embedded network projects at shopping centres in Queensland and Victoria.

Copper miner Oz Minerals has announced the launch of a new energy & mining collaboration (EMC), with six other companies, institutions and ministries, to seek out innovative ways to develop and incorporate renewable energy and demand management into mine sites.

AGL has completed a 2.12 MW ground-mounted solar PV system at Santos’ Port Bonython hydrocarbon processing plant in Whyalla, South Australia. The installation represents a step in the right direction for Santos’ emissions reduction program.

Two Western Australian mines will be powered by renewable energy hybrid microgrids echoing a global shift away from fossil fuels in the mining sector.

Melbourne-based Presbyterian Ladies’ College will be powered solely by wind and solar with the help of a power purchase agreement inked with electricity retailer Flow Power and on-site PV.

Some commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops remain shut off to solar installers. Weight constraints and roofs that cannot be penetrated by mourning structures can make a building unsuitable for PV. However, the major constraint for many enterprise owners or tenants is that they may no be able to benefit from the full 25-30 year lifetime of the system. The good news: it’s a challenge that can be overcome, says James Larratt, the CEO at Australian PV startup Solpod.

Mildura Rural City Council reports a milestone in helping businesses to upgrade their buildings with solar and become more energy efficient and sustainable, while Greater Shepparton sees great results from going solar.

As Australians seek to control rising energy costs and tackle the damaging impacts of climate change, rooftop solar has boomed. To manage the variability of rooftop solar – broadly, the “no power at night” problem – we will also see a rapid increase in battery storage.