Installations

Ambitious government targets and commitments by both private and state-owned companies will propel renewable energy installations.

World-beating Australian solar technology company SunDrive has completed a new $21 million (USD 13 million) funding round which will help commercialise its revolutionary solar cell technology that replaces silver with copper to improve solar panel efficiency and reduce costs.

Australia-based energy investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has sold a 49% stake in a massive $1.9 million (USD 1.2 billion) solar PV and battery energy storage project being developed in the United States to a Dutch pension asset manager.

A German startup backed by major European entrepreneurs and brands this week began the first of many strategic acquisitions in Australia, seeking to create a cross-country network and become a ‘one stop shop’ for renewable technologies with a major marketshare. Chris Williams, the founder of Natural Solar and now the CEO of 1komma5’s APAC arm, told pv magazine Australia the goal is to become the “Apple store of energy” – an opportunity he believes is well within reach given the institutional capital and scale behind the German outfit.

On the back of recent capital investment from a Canadian pension fund, NovaSource Power Services has made its first big move in the Australian market with the acquisition of First Solar’s 500 MW of operations and maintenance assets.

Australian company Vast Solar’s plans to expand into the rapidly growing North American renewable energy market have received a multi-million dollar boost after the United States government announced more than $38 million (USD 24 million) in grants to advance the development of concentrated solar thermal power technologies.

A 2.8 GW solar-powered green hydrogen export project being developed on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory has taken the next step towards securing environmental and planning approval with developer Provaris Energy lodging an assessment referral with the federal government.

A growing number of residential solar projects include energy storage batteries. In the first part of this series, we look at the backup power feature of batteries.

Bundelkhand Saur Urja Ltd. has opened bids from project management consultants for the 1.2 GW Jalaun Solar Park, which is now being developed in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Queensland-based energy company Line Hydrogen is to develop a gigawatt-scale renewable energy facility and green hydrogen production plant in Western Australia after joining forces with mining services contractor Blue Cap Mining.