Investment pipeline cause for concern as clean energy construction climbs
Construction of eight large-scale renewable energy generation and storage projects with a combined capacity of more than 1 GW commenced in Australia in the first quarter of 2023 but the Clean Energy Council has warned the project pipeline is drying up as “headwinds” increase.
Redflow to build 20 MWh redox-flow battery in California
Australian redox-flow battery manufacturer Redflow will build one of the world’s largest zinc-based battery energy storage systems in the United States after inking a multi-million-dollar deal with the California Energy Commission.
Quinbrook to target domestic market with Sun Cable project
Renewables investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has confirmed its focus is on the onshore potential of Sun Cable’s estimated $35 billion (USD 22.76 billion) Australia-Asia PowerLink project that aims to deliver up to 800 MW of renewable energy into Darwin and export solar from Australia to Singapore via a submarine transmission link.
Sheep grazing team to reduce solar mowing costs by more than 44%
About 70 Katahdin breed sheep were dropped off at the Oberlin College campus in Ohio last week. They will graze through mid-June, stomping grass and weeding the solar field in a move aimed at reducing operations and maintenance costs.
‘Resort’ style retirement villages set up own VPP program
GemLife, which describes itself as “luxury resort living for the over-50s,” has set up its own Virtual Power Plant (VPP), and is set to invest $75 million in coming years to rollout the VPPs across more than 10,000 homes in its property portfolio on Australia’s east coast.
Regulator seeks to disqualify installer from SRES, prosecutes Queensland company
The Clean Energy Regulator has, for the first time, sought to disqualify a solar installer from the small-scale renewable energy scheme (SRES), effectively Australia’s solar rebate program. It has also commenced civil proceedings against a solar and electrical installation company and its two directors.
Agrivoltaics can mitigate effects of drought
A new study by the University of Hohenheim shows that shading from PV systems can improve agricultural yields, especially in dry periods, but additional research is needed.
Energy majors dominate list of world’s leading big PV developers
Wiki-Solar’s latest league table of utility-scale solar project developers shows that only six renewable specialists occupy the top 20 spots.
Minister provides stamp of approval for VNI West powerline plan
The Victorian government has signed off on a preferred development plan for the contentious VNI West transmission project that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales electricity grids and promises to unlock upwards of 3.4 GW of new renewable generation capacity.
Cannon-Brookes, Quinbrook consortium secures Sun Cable
A consortium led by tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures and including green energy investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has been successful in acquiring the giant $35 billion Sun Cable renewable energy project.
