Off-grid solar-powered data centre headed for regional Victoria on expansion path
Queensland-based data centre operator Edge Centres has announced its first off-grid 100% solar-powered centre for Victoria, taking the new company’s centre total to five as it forges ahead with plans to transform regional Australia.
Rural Victorian medical centre joins the solar carpark push
East Grampians Health Service, located abut 200 kilometres west of Melbourne, will install a 174 kW system on the roof of its carparks after receiving funding from the Victorian government’s Building Works package.
New mounting system for rooftop PV, from Austria
The mounting structure relies on a 5.8m long support rail that does not lie on the roof but is connected directly to a purlin placed below with self-drilling support screws.
Solar carpark now powering Wollongong’s council
Wollongong council’s administration building is now being powered, at least partially, through a 200 kWp+ solar carpark.
Solar could supply 77% of Australia’s electricity demand by 2026
Australia’s solar uptake is now forecast to reach 8.9 GW by 2025, on top of the 14 GW already installed, according to the Australian Electricity Market Operator.
Coupling PV-powered electrochemical water splitting with battery storage
A German research team has developed a photovoltaic-electrochemical device for alkaline water electrolysis that can be linked to battery storage. The proposed system configuration can not only smoothen out the PV power fluctuations and facilitate power coupling, but also improve solar to hydrogen efficiency.
Green roof improves solar panel efficiency by 3.6% on average, study finds
The comparison of two solar cladded roofs in Sydney, one bare beneath its panels and the other adorned with native grasses and plants, has found the panels on the green roof were, on average, 3.63% more efficient, producing an average daily output 13% greater than the conventional roof. The improvements are believed to stem from the lower temperatures on the green roof, thanks to its plants – which also provided a plethora of additional benefits.
Saturday read: Scaling up standalone power systems
As technology redefines the delivery of network services, grid operators in remote areas the world over are searching for more cost-effective and reliable alternatives to traditional poles and wires. Standalone power systems are the solar application that is at the forefront of the switch, and they’re ramping up fast.
Dubai project promises ‘customised, walkable’ building PV
The new headquarters planned by DEWA is intended to consume no more annual electricity than it generates, from a large volume of rooftop and building-integrated PV.
India hits 100 GW renewables milestone
Solar’s share in the installed 100 GW renewable energy capacity stands at around 44%, and wind at 40% as per the data available from India’s Central Electricity Authority.
