Installations

Following Risen Energy’s January announcement that the company is starting to mass-produce its n-type heterojunction technology (HJT) hyper-ion solar modules, it has revealed plans to increase production capacity to 15 GW by the end of 2023. Archie Chen, CEO of Risen Energy Australia, says n-type HJT panels will prove the favoured technology over the coming years, facilitating higher performing solar solutions.

Berlin-based Boreal Light has developed water desalination tech powered by PV for off-grid applications. The solution uses 460 W solar panels from Chinese module manufacturer DAH Solar and produces clean water from direct seawater at a cost of €0.50 ($0.78)/m3.

The Northern Territory government remains upbeat about the future of the $30 billion-plus (USD 20.7 billion) Australia-Asia PowerLink project despite the company behind what would be the world’s biggest solar and energy storage project having abruptly entered voluntary administration.

Philippines-based energy company ACEN Corporation plans to capitalise on Australia’s “unparalleled renewables potential” after securing a $277 million (USD 191 million) loan facility which it says will be accelerate the delivery of an 8 GW clean energy portfolio that includes solar, wind, battery storage and pumped hydro.

A 110 MWp Queensland solar farm that is fully constructed and currently undergoing hold-point testing is one of a trio of PV assets that Greece-based industrial conglomerate Mytilineos has secured finance for as it looks to further establish its position in the Australian renewable energy market.

New Zealand is set to have its first big battery by 2024, after Meridian Energy awarded a contract to build the 100 MW / 200 MWh Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System to Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.

A review of recent solar and storage related trends as seen by IHS Markit.

British energy giant BP’s plans to build one of the world’s largest renewable energy and green hydrogen hubs in remote Western Australia has received a significant boost with the state government allocating land that supports the development of the proposed 26 GW project.

Before Puerto Rico had a chance to recover from Hurricane Maria, in 2017, it was rocked by earthquakes and then, in September 2022, the island was struck again – this time by Hurricane Fiona. These disasters severely impacted Puerto Rico’s infamously fragile power grid, but have emboldened local communities to take power into their own hands through solar and battery storage, and increasingly in the form of microgrids. Compelled by catastrophic circumstances, Puerto Rico must now push toward energy resilience and in the process may see itself become a model not just for other islands, but mainland grids as well.

Erthos claims that with its new installation method, solar facilities could occupy just one-third of the surface covered by conventional PV plants, potentially reducing installations costs by up to 20%.